Category Archives: Family

Bible, Family, Hurts, Scripture, Wounds

WHO WOUNDS YOU?

ZECHARIAH 13:6

“‘And someone will say to him, “What are these wounds between your arms?” Then he will say, “Those with which I was wounded at the house of my friends.”’”

Years ago, I was working in a woodshop using a table saw to split some plywood. On the last cut, I made a big mistake. I let my glove get too close to the blade, and it was grabbed by the blade, resulting in my finger getting cut pretty bad. I still have that wound on my right index finger, right at my knuckle. It is a constant reminder to be safe around whirring blades.

When you first read today’s verse, you might miss the implications to Jesus. The Hebrew word for “arms” can also mean “open hand.” This person the Lord refers to here in Zechariah was wounded by his parents. Jesus was “wounded” by His Father at the cross. His hands were pierced. Those wounds could still be seen after the resurrection. His Father allowed those wounds for us.

APPLICATION

Listen, beloved. Our deepest wounds are often caused by those closest to us – our families. We cut each other deep at times. Unlike Jesus’ wounds which had a purpose, these wounds we inflict on each other are just hurtful. Have you suffered that? Has someone you love caused you wounds? What do you do about that?

We imitate Jesus. What did He do when He was wounded by those soldiers at the cross? What did He say about those who had cried out for His crucifixion? Luke 23:34 tells us. “But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’” He forgave them. He knew their actions were sin, but He asked the Father to forgive them. In fact, His death gave forgiveness for those very sins, if they would receive it.

I am not implying that it is easy for us to forgive those who have caused us wounds. But even in that moment, we have the opportunity to be Jesus. My late brother-in-law used to say about conflict, “Just be the wrong one.” I hated that. But he was saying what I am saying today. Forgive and let God handle the outcome. After all, you can do nothing else.

Lord, I am not capable myself to forgive those who have wounded me. Through Your power I can.

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Bible, Children, Encouragement, Eternity, Family, God's Will, Praise, Scripture

MONGREL

ZECHARIAH 9:6

“And a people of mixed origins will live in Ashdod, and I will eliminate the pride of the Philistines.”

I have never owned a pure bred dog. All my dogs were mixed. My last dog was part Chow and part Australian Shepherd. We got him at the animal shelter. He was a mutt – cute, but a mutt. Those kinds of dogs don’t have much monetary value. Their value is only in the eyes of the beholder.

The Hebrew word in today’s verse for “mixed origins” really means bastard, one born out of wedlock, or one born of mixed heritage. When Alexander destroyed the Philistine cities, he repopulated them with people from other conquered nations. Any children born afterwards were of mixed races. Thus, the term used here referred to them. The pride of Philistine was gone. Their nation would be no more.

APPLICATION

Now, what can we get from this verse today. Listen, as children of the King, we have a royal heritage. Peter tells us that in 1 Peter 2:9. “But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

Your value to God is not based on what you were. It doesn’t matter where you came from. You are now a child of the King. You are part of His family. You carry the authority of Jesus to conquer the enemy. You are worth everything to God. He spared nothing to bring you home. Don’t let anyone ever tell you differently. You matter a lot to Him.

I never felt anything but love from my parents. Sure, they disciplined me. There were times we did not see eye to eye. But I never doubted their love for me. But as much as we loved each other, God loves me so much more. His love never waivers. He will love me for eternity. I am His and He is mine. Praise the Lord!

I praise Your holy name, O God. I know I am Your child and will live with You forever.

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Bible, Child Rearing, Children, Eternity, Family, Legacy, Memorials, Scripture

ERASED FROM SIGHT

ZECHARIAH 9:1

“The pronouncement of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach, with Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the LORD),”

I attended a small, private school in Meigs, GA from grade 5 through high school. I spent a lot of time at that school between classes, dances and sports events. So many memories. But the school is gone – demolished. If you drove by the previous site of that school today, you would not see the buildings. They are gone. I know it existed, but people in the future will have to rely on other evidence if they want to find it.

Hadrach is one such city. It does not exist today. It is gone, wiped off the face of the earth by an invading power. It was a city in a godless land. It suffered the judgment of God because of that. They were idolaters who scoffed at the very idea of one God. They were proud and rebellious. We could learn a lot from their fate, couldn’t we?

APPLICATION

What in the world does this verse mean for us today? Oh, listen. I believe the Lord has given me a word on this. Our legacy in Christ is only as good as the next generation. We must be about putting down landmarks to the fourth and fifth generation. As parents, we invest in the lives of our children and teach them God’s truth. We coach and mentor them into a saving knowledge of Jesus. We also invest in our grandchildren, praying for them and teaching them every chance we get.

If we are so fortunate to see our great grandchildren, we need to do the same. For many of us, that will never happen. But we can begin to pray for them now. Pray daily for your future generations. Pray God will be so large in their lives that people will ask where they got their faith. Hopefully, they will point back to the previous generations of believers who stood the test of time.

Legacies are made one block at a time. Legacies take time. I pray my legacy is not that I was a great man. I pray my legacy is that I was a great man of God. I want any greatness to be attributed to Him. As I pray for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, I am praying for them to be faithful and true and to lead many to Christ.

Oh, Lord, bless me to the fourth and fifth generations. I pray their inheritance from me is from You.

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Accountability, Bible, Calling, Church, Direction, Family, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Presence, Scripture

HERE THEY COME

ZECHARIAH 8:20

“‘The LORD of armies says this: “It will yet turn out that peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities.”’”

You may be one of those people who love to shop on Black Friday. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is traditionally the Friday after Thanksgiving when the Christmas shopping season begins. Here in the U.S., huge crowds gather outside stores offering reduced pricing on items. People get a little crazy on this day and crowds can become unmanageable. Personally, I stay as far away as possible from shopping areas on that day.

The people aren’t gathering in Jerusalem to shop here in verse 20. The Lord says that people are going to come to Jerusalem from all over. We will see in the next few verses why they are coming, but we know it is all about the Lord. They have seen how He has restored Israel, and they want to be a part of that. Instead of being shunned by the nations, Israel is seen as a destination point.

APPLICATON

I want to be in the midst of wherever the Lord is, don’t you? I love Moses’s words to the Lord in Exodus 33:15-16. “15 Then he said to Him, ‘If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16 For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are on the face of the earth?’”

Listen, we should look different from the world. We should be attracting people to come be a part of us. Last night my home church had a members’ meeting. We welcomed a couple of dozen new members to our church. People are coming to join our body of believers. Why? I would hope it is because they sense the presence of the Lord in our midst. We feel just like Moses. We are distinguished by His Holy Spirit among us.

I pray you are part of a body of believers. If not, seek one out. You need that fellowship. You need that accountability under a shepherd. And the body needs you. You, as a believer, are filled with the Spirit of God. As you join others with the same Spirit of God, the unity of the church universal is strengthened. Come to His gathering place and feel the presence of the Lord.

I come, Lord, into Your presence each week as I gather with other believers. Thank You for the fellowship I have with them.

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Abuse, Affection, Bible, Blessing, Comfort, Commands, Deceit, Family, Friends, Goodness, Mercy, Scripture

DOING GOOD TO OTHERS

ZECHARIAH 7:10

“‘and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”

When I read this verse today, I thought Who would hurt a widow or orphan? Who would mistreat a stranger or a poor person? However, I am very aware of the evil in this world. The intentions of man are not normally in tune with God’s principles. It’s a dog eat dog world, and some people will take anything from anyone at any time just to get ahead.

The Lord, through Zechariah, continues his instructions to the people. In verse 10 He expands His commands to include how to treat the widow, orphan, stranger and poor. The Hebrew word for “oppress” can be translated as deceive, defraud or violate. In other words, He is saying do not treat these people badly. All through Scripture we read how God cares for these individuals.

APPLICATION

I spent over thirty years caring for the “orphans.” My years in the child welfare field had me involved in residential care, foster care and adoptions. Nothing stirs the heart strings of people like sharing stories about these children. Is there a children’s home near you where you can volunteer? They always need volunteers. You will be blessed.

James 1:27 is one of my favorite verses. “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Our good treatment of these individuals is pleasing to our heavenly Father because they are near to His heart.

Look around you. There are tons of opportunities for you to minister to this population. Widows and widowers need friends they can talk to. Orphans need loving families. The strangers and the poor need a hand up. Just ask the Lord how He could use you. You might just be surprised at His answer.

Open my eyes to people around me who need some love and compassion.

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Authority, Bible, Compassion, Covenant, Eternity, Family, Holy Spirit, Scripture

SIGNET RING

HAGGAI 2:23

“‘On that day,’ declares the LORD of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares the LORD of armies.”

My dad used to have this real cool ring he bought when he was in the army. It was made of nickel, I think, and was very heavy, especially for a little boy. I loved that ring. I would sneak and wear it around the house pretending it made me important, like a king or something. I made the mistake of wearing it to see a friend who had a pond on his property. Do you see where this is going? Yep, I lost that ring in the pond. I knew dad was going to kill me, but he didn’t get upset at all. Praise the Lord.

God tells Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that He would make him like a signet ring. What does that mean? You have to understand that the signet ring carried power and authority. We saw this when Pharoah gave his ring to Joseph (Genesis 41:42) and when Ahasuerus gave his ring to Mordecai (Esther 8:2). So, when Zerubbabel is told this, he knows this is an honor. God has selected him to stand out. What a great way to end this book.

APPLICATION

Many scholars equate Zerubbabel as a type of Christ. Christ, or course, does not need a signet ring to give Him authority. He is authority. He is power. And His seal of the Holy Spirit is upon each of us as believers. Look at Ephesians 1:13. “…you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Sealed, marked, shown as belonging to Him.

Don’t every doubt that. You belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are in His family. He claims you as His own. There is no doubting that. The devil loves to try to convince us that we don’t belong to Christ. Don’t believe it. Once you have asked Christ in your life, you are His for eternity.

What kind of imprint are you leaving on this world? Who have you influenced for Christ? We should leave a Jesus-size mark on everyone we meet. They should know they have been impacted by Him, not us. Will you do that today? Tell someone how Jesus has imprinted you. Maybe they will be imprinted too.

You have marked me as You own. I am so thankful I can be counted as one of Yours.

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Bible, Family, Loyalty, Relationships, Scripture, Wealth, Worship

WHAT DO YOU WORSHIP?

HABAKKUK 1:16

“Therefore, they offer a sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their fishing net, because through these things their catch is large, and their food is plentiful.”

People worship stuff. There, I said it. We worship sports. We worship money. We worship prestige and fame. We have done it for centuries. Whatever we put most of our time and attention to becomes our god (notice I put a little “g” there). When will we ever learn that there is only One True God?

The Chaldeans literally worshipped their instruments of war. They would praise their swords and spears. They would claim their strength as their god. This was a common practice then and one that continued for centuries. Warriors in many countries often sacrificed to their weapons and swore allegiance to them, as if they were gods.

APPLICATION

So, this begs the question of us. What do we worship? I know you are going to be quick to say, Carl, I only worship God. Really? Then where do you spend your resources? How much time do you really give God? Do you worship Him in Spirit and in truth? John tells us to do that in John 4:24. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

I live in the South where football is King. I’m talking about American football, of course. This time of the year people spend hours engrossed in a ballgame that will be forgotten next year. But we won’t spend 30 minutes with our Lord. I know I am meddling. And I must confess that I watch football, too. But it is not my god. It can never replace that relationship.

Your god may be your family. You spend every moment thinking of and caring for your family, but you neglect your time with Jesus. There is nothing wrong with caring for your family, but we need to spend time with the One who adopted us into His family. Ask yourself today what your god is. Is it Jesus or something else?

I seek You, Lord. I want to know You more so I have to spend time with You.

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Bible, Blessing, Family, Fruit, Treasures, Wealth

YOUR TREASURE

NAHUM 2:9

“Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! For there is no end to the treasure—wealth from every kind of desirable object.”

One of my children’s favorite movies was “Goonies.” These kids in the movie are seeking a pirate treasure in the caves around their hometown. They eventually find it after fighting off some bad guys. The treasure has gold, diamonds and precious stones. They let most of the treasure go unclaimed, however, in order to make sure everyone is safe.

All the silver and gold of Nineveh is plundered by their enemies. It was a wealthy city, having conquered other nations and carried off their wealth. Well, turnabout is fair play. Now, all their wealth is being carried off. All they can do is watch. Their end has come.

APPLICATION

What is your treasure? Is it your 401K? How about your home or job? Maybe you consider your family your treasure. All these are temporal. They will not last. They may make you feel good now, but not in eternity. None of these will make a difference when you come to the end of your days.

You see, God’s view of treasure is different than the world’s. Jesus told us in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” We prioritize the wrong things too often. Jesus tells us to lay up treasures in heaven. That is only done by living according to His Word. It is done by producing fruit through godly living.

So, what treasures have you laid up in heaven? How are you serving Him today? All those treasures you lay up in heaven will be laid at His feet. That will be a glorious day. We cannot even begin to imagine. He will be glorified!

All I have laid up in heaven, Lord, is Yours. Help me keep my focus on heavenly treasures and not worldly ones.

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Accountability, Affection, Bible, Family, Forgiveness, Relationships, Scripture

ENEMIES WITHIN 

MICAH 7:6 

“For son disavows father, daughter rises up against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a person’s enemies are the people of his own household.” 

This is a rough verse. Family squabbles are hard on everyone. The divorce rate is just as high for Christian couples as they are for unbelievers. That’s shocking. We have the answer. Sibling rivalries rise when going through a will. In-laws are challenging at times. 

It’s as if Micah looked into the 21st century and read our headlines. Solomon said it best when he said there was nothing new under the sun. Families fought back then, and they fight now. These were dog-eat-dog days for the people back then, and families were no exception. Everyone looked out for themselves. 

APPLICATION 

So, how do we apply this verse to our lives for today? We stop the fights within! When something starts up, we go to our knees together. It is really hard to fight with someone on your knees. Prayer does change things, but we have to let it. 

Let me ask you a tough question. Does Micah 7:6 fit your family? If it does, make it right. Go to the person you are at odds with and pray. Seek forgiveness and reconciliation. I know that takes two but do your part. That’s all the Lord can ask. 

My dad and his sister did not talk for years because of a financial squabble. She was the only sister he had, but he would not even mention her name. They finally settled the problem in their later years, but it was never the same. Don’t waste time with your family over temporal issues. Make it right today. 

Father, forgive me for anything I may have done to cause a schism in my family. 

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Affection, Bible, Blessing, Compassion, Covenant, Destruction, Distractions, Encouragement, Family, Flesh, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Scripture

MISPLACED COMPASSION

JONAH 4:10

“Then the LORD said, ‘You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight.’”

As a believer, I struggle with people who have more compassion for a sea turtle nest than an unborn child. They will fight to defend that spot on the beach where the turtle will lay its eggs but demand the right to choose to end the life in the womb. Misplaced compassion, in my view.

Jonah was accused by God of a similar misplaced compassion. Jonah was more upset about the dead plant that gave him shade than the tens of thousands of lives that had been facing destruction from God. His thoughts were not on them. He was thinking more of himself.

APPLICATION

Ouch! Isn’t that the same with us? We are so self-centered that we totally ignore the needs of others. If we are believers, if we are following Christ, then we have to have our eternal eyes turned on. We have to see the world around us and do all we can to share the good news with them.

But we look out for #1. Our needs come first. Our comfort is more important. We think all of that ranks higher than the lost soul we just passed on the street. When will we stop and get our priorities right? Jesus wants us to put others ahead of ourselves. That is what He did, isn’t it?

I am guilty of doing this way too often. I get busy, even busy doing ministry, and sidestep the homeless person on the corner. I avoid eye contact with the guy begging at the intersection. I have plenty to share. I could skip a meal and give that money to a struggling single mom. Would you pray that I am more sensitive to these needs? Would you join me by meeting the needs around you?

Forgive me, Lord, of closing my eyes to the needs around me. Help me seek out someone to help each day.

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