Category Archives: Affliction

Abiding, Admonished, Advocate, Affliction, Belief, Bible, Choices, Commands, Danger, Deliverance, Escape, God's Will, Remembering, Scripture

THEY KNEW

ZECHARIAH 11:11

“So it was broken on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD.”

Sometimes you just know! Right? Call it a gut thing or something just didn’t feel right. Perhaps you remembered something you had been told earlier. A situation jogged your memory and you said, “Aha, I remember that.” Whatever the reason, you have that “Spidey sense” that warns you about something. You heed the advice you have been given and avoid a catastrophe.

“The afflicted of the flock” referred to in today’s verse had done just that. They had heard the warnings from Zechariah and fled Jerusalem before it was surrounded and destroyed. They escaped into the mountains. How did they know this? Because Zechariah had forewarned, and they had believed him. These were the humble and devoted ones who were still seeking to follow Jehovah. Their devotion was rewarded.

APPLICATION

How can we escape terrible situations in our lives? By listening to and obeying the Lord. His Word gives us ample warning of the things we should and should not do. Before you freak out, it is not a book of rules. It’s a guidebook for life. 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

Here’s a verse you probably know. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I could go on listing verse after verse, passage after passage about God’s warnings to us. The warnings, in and of themselves, mean nothing unless you are willing to listen and obey. Just because we read it or hear it doesn’t mean we are delivered. We have to obey.

I have discovered that if you stay close to Jesus, if you read His Word regularly, if you memorize and meditate on it, if you apply His Word to your life and spend time with Him daily in prayer, then you will be quick to hear and obey all those warnings. Or will you be like the other Israelites who heard but did not heed the warnings? It’s your choice.

I hear You, Lord, and I will obey.

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Accountability, Affliction, Bible, Captivity, Compassion, Consequences, Enemies, Forgiveness, God's Will, Judgment, Punishment, Restoration, Scripture

NO COMPASSION

ZECHARIAH 11:6

“‘For I will no longer have compassion for the inhabitants of the land,’ declares the LORD; ‘but behold, I will let the people fall, each into another’s power and into the power of his king; and they will crush the land, and I will not rescue them from their power.’”

It is hard to have compassion for people who willingly make bad decisions. At least, it is for me. When people fall into hard times due to no fault of their own, I want to reach out and lend a helping hand. But someone who time and time again chooses to satisfy their own flesh at the expense of themselves and others seems to deserve whatever comes their way. Does that seem hard? Well, look at today’s verse.

The Lord is saying He was going to allow His chosen people to suffer because of their willful disobedience. When He says He will show no compassion, He is saying there is no pity for their plight. He was, in fact, going to send another nation to punish them. Babylon would rise up and defeat them and carry them off into exile, just like the Lord said.

APPLICATION

Unlike the Israelites, we have mercy and grace through the blood of Jesus to cover our sins. That does not give us freedom to live as we want, though. We still must follow the Lord. Paul says in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” The answer to that question is obvious, isn’t it?

I really love what the Apostle John writes in 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That’s it. That’s the secret. Confession! We need to stay “confessed up.” Unlike the Israelites, who were taken into captivity for 70 years, we can have immediate forgiveness.

I have to confess something to you. I have to confess my sins daily, sometimes more than that. I have learned how important that is. I start my mornings doing that. It’s the first thing I do right after I have a short time of worshipping the Lord. I do my best to humble myself before His throne and ask Him to forgive me of any impure thought or unkind deed. I want His cleansing. Don’t you? It’s there, for the asking.

Cleanse me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

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Affliction, Altars, Belief, Bible, Death, Faithfulness, God's Will, Judgment, Offering, Sacrifice, Scripture

JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS

ZECHARIAH 11:4

“This is what the LORD my God says: ‘Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter.’”

There have been times in my ministry career that I have been asked to do something that I knew was doomed to fail. I had tried to give good counsel, but the person in charge had given strict orders. They wanted it done their way. They also knew the chances of success were slim to none, but their order still stood. As a subordinate, I had to follow through on their instructions.

Here in Zechariah 11, we are entering into a prophetic statement where Zechariah is represented as carrying out a future event. Many scholars believe here Zechariah is representative of Christ offering Himself to Israel, whom He knew would reject Him. This flock was doomed to slaughter, but they were to be fed anyway. Christ offered the children of Israel His kingdom first, remember.

APPLICATION

Psalm 44:22 says, “But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” The difference between this verse and today’s verse in Zechariah is huge. In Zechariah, they are sheep for the slaughter because of their disobedience. In Psalm 44, we are sheep to be slaughtered for the Lord. We are His martyrs for the kingdom.

I don’t know about you, but I had rather be slaughtered for the Lord, not by the Lord. I willingly lay down my life for Him each and every day. As I travel around the globe, I am often asked if I fear for my life. I tell them I do not because the Lord holds me in His righteous right hand. My life is His to do with as He sees fit.

Do you have that peace today? Are you a sheep slaughtered because of your sins? Or are you a sheep slaughtered for the kingdom. One will take your peace away. The other gives you peace. If you have not repented of your sins and given your life to Jesus, do it today. Experience real peace.

Thank You, Father, for giving me that life ending peace. I am okay with facing my last day on this earth knowing my next day will be with You.

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Affliction, Bible, Death, Failures, God's Will, Grace, Scripture, Sin

REMOVING THE BAD STUFF

ZECHARIAH 9:7

“And I will remove their blood from their mouth and their detestable things from between their teeth. Then they also will be a remnant for our God, and be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like a Jebusite.”

I have been so fortunate to have never had an abscessed tooth, much less one that required removal. I know people who struggle with their dental health. They just have bad teeth. They do all the right things, but they develop abscessed teeth. If they can’t be healed with medication, they have to come out. Why? Because the infection will spread and cause more problems.

In today’s verse, God says He will “remove their blood from their mouth and their detestable things from between their teeth.” This refers to the sacrifices the Philistines offered in their idolatry. These things had to be removed. God judged them for this practice. It could not remain because the effects would spread into Israel and to His people. The “cancer” of idol worship had to come out.

APPLICATION

Is there something in your life that needs to be removed? Are you harboring a hidden sin that can grow and infect your whole life and the lives of others? God still does surgery on us today. He wants to cut out that sin that infects us. James tells us why in James 1:14-15. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

Sin is like that abscessed tooth. Left in your mouth, it will continue to infect, eating away at the bone. You can numb it for a while. You can ignore it temporarily, but it must come out. Sin will lead you down a dark road. We know it leads to destruction. Once we confess our sins, He will forgive us. Our initial prayer of confession which leads to salvation seals us by His Holy Spirit. But everyday sins (and I do mean everyday sins) can hamper our spiritual growth and take us out of the battle.

I try to confess my sins to the Lord daily. I usually quote part of Psalm 51 where David asked God to cleanse him and wash him. That’s what I want. I desire to live sinless, but I have a long way to go. One day, I will live sinlessly in eternity. Until then, I keep pulling those abscesses. They are painful and they stink. Get rid of them.

Father God, pull out all my abscesses of sin. Cleanse me today that I may be used of you.

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Affliction, Battles, Bible, Danger, Enemies, Fighting, God's Will, Persecution, Protection, Safety, Scripture

IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD

ZECHARIAH 9:5

“Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza too will writhe in great pain; also Ekron, because her hope has been ruined. Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.”

I have had some tough experiences. Let me explain. I have shared with you in the past about my two stem cell transplants. Well, with the first one, I didn’t quite know what to expect. It was a new experience. But when I found out I had to have my second one, I knew what was coming. I could see the days of nausea and sickness. I knew I would be weak and fatigued. I knew what was headed my way. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Asheklon, Ekron and Gaza knew what was coming. They had heard of Tyre and Sidon’s fall. They knew the invading power was headed south towards them. The Lord says in today’s verse that they would “be afraid,” “writhe in great pain” and their “hope has been ruined.” There was no escape. They must have felt completely helpless. Can you imagine how they felt, looking each day to see if the armies of the enemy were approaching?

APPLICATION

Thanks be to God we don’t have to worry about that as believers. Sure, the enemy is always attacking us, but he is already defeated. Our victory is rooted in Jesus. Our tower of refuge is our God and Redeemer. The enemy’s fiery darts may come, but with our shield of faith and battle armor, he cannot make a dent. Jesus defends us.

How do I know that? Because the Bible tells me so. I love Psalm 23. Don’t you? It says in verse 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” He is always with me. God has my life in view. He can see enemies coming long before I can.

That is why I don’t worry about the enemy. God has it all under control. If the enemy strikes me, it is only because the Lord has allowed him. And if God has allowed it, then with His strength I can handle it. Look up Philippians 4:13. When things don’t look good, look up. He is there – always.

Your vision is trustworthy and sure. I know You are watching over me.

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Affliction, Battles, Bible, Jobs, Provision, Satisfaction, Scripture, Works

NO WORK

ZECHARIAH 8:10

“‘“For before those days there was no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies, and I sent all the people against one another.”’”

Last Fall I was in an East African country that was struggling economically. The unemployment rate was extremely high. People were suffering due to high food costs and the lack of fuel for vehicles and their homes. It was hard to hear the stories of families suffering and having to make difficult financial decisions. There was no work and no prospects for new jobs.

In today’s verse God is reminding the Israelites how bad it was before. Nobody was working. There wasn’t even any work for the animals due to poor crops and the damage of war. Sometimes, you just have to be reminded how bad it used to be so you can appreciate the present. Obviously, God felt the people needed that little reminder.

APPLICATION

Have you forgotten God’s blessings in the past? Better yet, have you forgotten how you were before Christ? Think back to that day. Before Christ came into my life, I was wandering aimlessly. I was pursuing all the wrong things. I was spiritually bankrupt. I need God to work on me, and He did. He gloriously saved me when I was sixteen. Now, that did not solve all my issues. I have still made mistakes since then. But it is so much better now.

I have never gone through a time for very long when I did not have a job. My dad taught me to never leave a job until you have another one lined up. I have pretty much always done that. So, it’s hard for me to relate personally to someone who has struggled for months or even years without a job. I have friends who have gone through that and have watched them struggle. I have prayed with them and even wept with them about this.

I want to remind you today of a passage in Colossians 3. Verses 23-24 tell us, “23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” You see, that is the key. Whatever we do!

Take a minute and list all the jobs you have ever had. Now, thank God for each one. Yes, each one. Every job you have ever had has been used by God to teach you and train you for the next one. I am not sure what job I will have in heaven. But whatever it is, it will be glorious to serve my Master. Don’t you agree?

Thank You, Father, for “employing” me in Your service. I want to always work to bring You glory.

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Affliction, Battles, Bible, Confession, Defeat, Exile, Forgiveness, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Obedience, Persecution, Restoration, Scripture

NO TRAFFIC

ZECHARIAH 7:14

“‘but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, since they made the pleasant land desolate.’”

No traffic sounds good, doesn’t it? I live in a city where we have daily traffic jams. One spot in particular causes daily delays. They have attempted to correct that spot and improve the flow of traffic, but it really hasn’t helped a lot. But traffic congestion can also mean that many people are coming to your area or at least coming through it. It helps the economy which in turn helps your community.

God promises the traffic will stop in Israel. He says, “so that no one went back and forth.” Because of their unrepentant sins, God “scattered them…among all the nations.” They were led into exile by foreign invaders. Their land would be left desolate. There would cease to be any reason to come to that land because everything of value was gone.

APPLICATION

Has your life been left desolate because of your sin? There is hope in Jesus. He can restore that which was lost. He can return you to a place of fruitfulness. But that is only possible as you confess and submit to Him. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You see, our cleansing is just waiting – waiting on us to respond to His calling on our lives. When we do respond, He is there – faithful and righteous to forgive us. What are you waiting for? Aren’t you tired of the windswept streets of your life – desolate due to sin? He can restore the flow of His Spirit.

Warning: When you decide to go all in with Jesus, He will make your life exciting and real. He will lead you to new opportunities for service. He will give you a hunger for His Word that can only be sated by study and application. He will give you a passion to reach the lost with the Gospel. Are you ready for some “traffic” in your life?

Lord, lead me and I will follow. I want to be about Your business.

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Affliction, Bible, Choices, Consequences, Fire, Gospel, Praise, Rescue, Scripture

A BURNING LOG

ZECHARIAH 3:2

“And the LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched from the fire?’”

I love to go camping, even though I don’t do it a lot. I really like primitive camping when all you have is a tent, a campfire and some easy to cook food. One of the best things to me about camping is the campfire. I love the smell of wood burning. I love the flicker of the flames at night. I love the sound of the wood crackling. What happens if you pull one of the logs out of the fire? It will eventually stop burning although it will have the obvious signs of having been burned.

The LORD is rebuking Satan in today’s verse for bringing accusations against Joshua, the high priest who was mentioned in verse 1 of chapter 3. When the Lord says, “Is this not a log snatched from the fire,” He is saying to Satan, “Can’t you see the signs of suffering on him for his sins?” Remember, Israel had only recently returned from exile because of their sins. They were still wearing signs of their struggle.

APPLICATION

There are so many applications for us in this verse. I will try to stick to just one. We are all wearing the scars of our sinful flesh. Some of us made choices before salvation that caused actual physical scars. Some of our sins caused long-lasting emotional scars. We are like that log that has been snatched from the fire. God has taken us out of that fire, but we are still singed.

The beautiful thing about salvation is God can take you right where you are and cleanse you. Your sins are washed away. Eventually that singed smell will go away. Through the healing power of God, you can be “washed whiter than snow.” Listen to Isaiah in Isaiah 2:18. “‘Come now, and let us debate your case,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.’”

I know I have some leftover effects from my “Before Christ” days. They are a reminder of the grace of God in my life. I stand amazed every day that He would save a wretch like me. I bet you do too. But praise be to God, we are washed. We are cleansed. We have been set free.

Are you washed in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb.

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Affliction, Belief, Bible, Covenant, God's Will, Judgment, Rescue, Scripture, Suffering

SCATTERING

ZECHARIAH 1:19

“So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, ‘What are these?’ And he said to me, ‘These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.’” 

I love Waffle House, a restaurant chain here in the U.S. Their specialty is breakfast. Their staff have a certain lingo they use to describe the orders that are called out loud from the waiter(ess) to the cook who you can see at the grill. One particular word they use is “scattered,” which means to spread the hash browns on the grill. I love mine scattered and smothered (with onions), “covered” (with cheese), “chunked” (with diced ham), “diced” (with diced tomatoes), “peppered” (with jalapeño peppers), and “topped” (with chili). Where is my nearest Waffle House?

The angel tells Zechariah in today’s verse that the horns “have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” They had been spread out due to these nation’s conquest of them. Of course, these nations had been the “hand of God,” delivering His judgment. After all the scattering, God is bringing them back. It’s as if the Lord wants to make sure Zechariah and the people don’t forget.

APPLICATION

You may feel “scattered” today. You may believe God has forgotten you and left you in exile. That is not true. God has a unique plan for your life, unlike any other. He will not leave you destitute and forgotten. Jesus said this concerning the last days. “‘And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.’”

Do you think He has forgotten you? No way. That is just a lie from the pit of hell. The devil loves to whisper those words to get us to doubt who we are in Christ. Philippians 2:15 tells us this about who we are. “…so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,…”

You and I are children of the Holy God. He may scatter us at times on the grill of life, but He will gather us back in. He will not allow His children to go unguarded and unprotected. So why does God allow the wicked to prosper and me to suffer? Aww, the question of the ages. Trust! He is there. Just like that short order cook at the Waffle House, He is always listening. And His preparation is always perfect.

On the days I feel I am scattered, gather me in, Lord.

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Abiding, Affliction, Bible, Deliverance, God's Will, Oppression, Rescue, Scripture

LIVING IN A BOWL

ZEPHANIAH 1:11

“‘Wail, you inhabitants of the Mortar, because all the people of Canaan will be destroyed; all who weigh out silver will be eliminated.’”

The city where I live, Chattanooga, is in a bowl. We sit in this valley fringed by mountains which gives our geographic area a bowl-like appearance. Pollen settles here and makes breathing hard for those with allergies. We do get protected from some storms because of our geography, but at other times, if the weather comes from a southwesterly direction, we can get hit hard.

That is the case here in Zephaniah 1:11. The word “Mortar” is actually referring to the geographical location the people find themselves in. They are trapped in a bowl. Much like drugs are crushed by a pestle inside a mortar, their enemies would crush them in their valley, in their bowl. Judgment is sure.

APPLICATION

You may feel like you are being crushed by life’s circumstances. I know sometimes the pressures of life can be horrible. It seems you are being hit from every side. Can I put all that in perspective for you? Philippians 2:5-8 can do that. “5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And but being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.”

Sure, we suffer hardship. But compared to what Jesus has done for us, it is nothing. The sins of the world were on His shoulders. Can we even imagine the pressure He was feeling? And remember, He had not done anything wrong. He had never sinned. Can we say that?

I am thankful for the opportunities He gives me to trust Him. Even when I am in that bowl of affliction and there seems to be no way of escape, He is there. He will sustain me. He will lift up my head. He will deliver me. Praise be to Him.

Yes, Lord, You are the lifter of my head. To You I will look for my deliverance during each trial and hardship.

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