Category Archives: God’s Will

Asking, Bible, Denial, Fasting, God's Will, Listening, Sacrifice, Scripture

JUST WHY DO YOU FAST?

ZECHARIAH 7:5

“‘Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?”’”

Fasting is a sacrificial way of hearing God’s voice. I have not done a lot of fasting, but when I have, it’s been a sweet time. During those first several hours, all I could think about was food, lol. But as I started concentrating on those hunger pains as a reminder of Christ’s sufferings, they became less and less noticeable.

God is questioning the motives of the people’s fasts during their captivity. He asks, “Was it actually for Me that you fasted?” Or was it all about them. The word used here for “mourned” is the word used to describe dreadful mourning including tearing your hair out and wailing loudly. What was that all about? Was that a way to draw attention to themselves? Fasting for God should be a worshipful experience and should be done with reverence.

APPLICATION

I am not trying to guilt you into starting a fast. That is not my intention. I do want to encourage you, though, to consider a fast when you need to engage in some deep conversations with the Lord. Denying yourself food (if you are able to do that physically) can draw you into His presence in a way that is not normally experienced.

We rarely engage in self-sacrifice. We are usually more inclined to indulge ourselves. Prayerfully consider this option. Don’t fast to prove anything. It’s not about looking more spiritual. Remember in Luke 5:33 Jesus was asked why His disciples didn’t fast like the Pharisees and John’s disciples. Jesus didn’t put fasting up as a priority. But He also didn’t negate it.

Paul and Barnabas practiced fasting. Acts 14:23 says, “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Do you have an important decision you need to make? Seek the Lord through a fast if He leads you that way. But make sure you are doing it in order to hear Him. When you do that, He will speak.

I want to hear You, O God. Speak to me as I bear my soul before You.

Standard
Abiding, Advocate, Bible, Direction, Faithfulness, Following, God's Will, Obedience, Scripture

HALFWAY THERE

ZECHARIAH 7:1

“In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev.”

Often when I travel, I will look up the halfway point of the trip. I like to plan where I can stop and lodge for the night or check out any cool landmarks. If the trip is several hours long, this halfway spot will give me a chance to stretch my legs and maybe get something to eat. I also like knowing that I am halfway to my destination.

What you may not can tell from the dates mentioned in verse 1 of chapter 7 is this marked about the halfway point from the beginning of the temple rebuild until it was finished. It had been two years since they started. The temple was taking shape, and the people were probably getting more excited about its completion, which was still two years away. But progress was being made.

APPLICATION

Spiritually speaking, how far along are you in your growth? One tenth? Halfway? Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.” How far along we are spiritually has a lot less to do with us than it does with God. As Paul said in that verse in Philippians, “it is God who is at work in you.”

Just like in my physical journeys, I won’t get to my destination unless I continue on my path. Spiritually, I don’t want to stop halfway. I want to go all the way with Jesus. I want Him to work in and through me to make me exactly what He wants me to be. That may require me to change the direction I am going. That’s okay because I want to be on the path the Lord is on.

Let me ask you another question. Where do you WANT to be on your spiritual journey? Have you given that much thought? God has. He wants you right by His side and He leads you each step. He will not force you to take this journey, but He promises to be with you if you do. Come on, let’s get going.

Wherever You lead I’ll go, Wherever You lead I’ll go!

Standard
Abiding, Advocate, Attitude, Bible, Blessing, Glory, God's Will, Promises, Scripture

LOOK AT WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE

ZECHARIAH 6:10

“‘Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.’”

Too often we overlook the work of the Lord in our lives. We either don’t think He is working, or we think we have somehow accomplished this ourselves. How foolish! I am guilty of this. I know you are shocked, right? I want the credit, or I want to complain. I needed to be reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness today in this verse.

Take a look at the names mentioned in today’s verse. Heldai means “the Lord’s world.” Tobijah means “the Lord is my good.” Jedaiah means “God knows.” Josiah means “the Lord supports.” And Zephaniah means “the Lord hides.” Aren’t those great reminders that the Lord is active and working? These instructions the Lord gives Zechariah all relate to these five individuals whose names all point back to God.

APPLICATION

How is the Lord working in your life? Well Carl, I just don’t see the Lord doing anything in my life. Really? Did you wake up this morning? Psalm 3:5 says, “I lie down to sleep, I awake again because the Lord sustains me.” Hmmm. Did you eat yesterday? How about your health? Is it good? All these are signs the Lord is working.

The Lord has a vested interest in our daily lives. He wants us to live in such a way that points back to Him. Why? To glorify His name and bring others into the kingdom. 1 Thessalonians 2:12 tells us this. “…so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” Are you doing that? I ask myself that question each day.

Will you live today in a manner that reflects that this is the Lord’s world, that He is your good, that He knows, that He supports, and that He hides His Word in your heart? He wants that for you. I want that for you. Decide right now to do that. That will definitely please the Father.

You are at work in my heart today, O Lord. Help me show others the way.

Standard
Asking, Attention, Bible, Blessing, Calling, God's Will, Hearing, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Listening, Scripture

WHO IS CALLING MY NAME?

ZECHARIAH 6:8

“Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, ‘See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.’”

I was walking through an airport recently and could have sworn I heard someone call my name. It was so clear. I quickly turned my head and scanned the terminal I was walking through. I thought perhaps there was a fellow traveler who knew me. I never did see that person. Maybe it was God calling me.

Zechariah once again hears the angel call his name. Zechariah, listen up. You don’t want to miss this. He is told very clearly that “those who are going to the land of the north” are going to settle things. God had had enough of Babylon’s irreverence. They had taken the sacred vessels from the temple and were using them in their idol worship. Yes, they had been God’s weapon to bring judgment on Israel, but they had gone too far.

APPLICATION

Have you heard the voice of God lately? It takes a trained ear. Most people don’t hear God because they are not listening. Isaiah 6:8 is a pretty famous verse about hearing God. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah heard because he was listening.

I love the message we get from Psalm 95:7b-9. “7b Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9 “When your fathers put Me to the test, they tested Me, though they had seen My work.” You see, the danger of hearing God’s voice is ignoring it because His commands or directions do not line up with what you want.

Are you listening? Better yet, are you obeying? When He calls your name, are you saying as Isaiah did, “Here I am, send me”? Get alone in a quiet place and listen. Ask God to speak to you. Ask Him to show you your sins and confess them to Him. Allow Him to speak deep in your hearts. Then, and this is the most important part, do what He says.

Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus. There’s room in my heart for You,

Standard
Abiding, Bible, Dominion, Fighting, God's Will, Indwelling, Love, Protection, Scripture

DOMINATION

ZECHARIAH 6:7

“When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth. And He said, ‘Go, patrol the earth.’ So they patrolled the earth.”

When I was in high school, I played football. We were a small school and normally only had 25-30 players. I usually played both offense and defense, only getting off the field at half-time or the end of the game. We played one school from Alabama that was probably three times our size. Needless to say, we were completely dominated by this team. Their size, strength numbers just overwhelmed us.

The same is true for the “strong ones” mentioned here in verse 7. These “strong ones” represented the Roman Empire, which we know dominated the known world. They were a force that most nations had no chance against. Their numbers and the force of their fighting were too much. So, the mention of them patrolling the earth is a reference to this domination.

APPLICATION

Before you get worried about being dominated, let me put your mind at ease. As a child of the King, we know He has complete domination. The difference between His domination and Rome’s is God dominates with love. You can’t discuss God’s love without referring to 1 Corinthians 13. “4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails;…”

When we give our hearts to Jesus, God sends His Holy Spirit to fill us. That Spirit reminds us over and over about God’s amazing love. On those days when you are feeling low, remember just how much He loves you. Listen to the Word of God again in Romans 8:38-39. “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s dominating love! It gives us hope. It conquers fears. It brings us peace. I pray you know His love today. If you don’t, ask Him to come into your life today as you confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Savior. You will never be the same.

Love lifted me, love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me.

Standard
Abiding, Appearance, Bible, End Times, Following, God's Will, Messages, Scripture

SENT BY THE LORD

ZECHARIAH 6:5

“The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth,”

Years ago, I used to go to Washington, D.C. to lobby for issues that involved children. I was sent by the agency I worked with or another childcare agency. My role was to represent the group that sent me. I was to argue for their needs, not my own.

These four spirits (which we saw in the horses and chariots) had been “taking a stand before the Lord.” So, we must believe that they were receiving their orders. Why was this important? Because the people needed to know that God was aware of what had been happening and what would happen. These four spirits could only do what He allowed.

APPLICATION

Just like those four spirits, we may be sent by the Lord to accomplish His mission. Now, we don’t physically stand before the Lord in heaven, but we do stand before Him, don’t we?  Ephesian 6:14 says, “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,” Who do you think is dressing you for battle?

We come to the Lord and stand before His holy throne every day as we pray and study His Word. You may be seated at your table or physically laying prostrate on the floor, but you are spiritually standing before His throne. Listen closely. You don’t want to miss His order. He wants to send you out.

I have received lots of orders in my lifetime from various bosses or supervisors. Some I did not like. Others I was okay with. But what I thought really didn’t matter. When I stand before my Lord, I will receive whatever He gives me. I will do my best to follow His command. I don’t always do it well, but I am trying. What is the order you have from the Lord? Can you hear Him?

I will serve only You, O Lord. It is You I want to follow.

Standard
Battles, Bible, Defeat, Famine, God's Will, Judgment, Persecution, Prophesy, Scripture

JUST WHAT DO THESE COLORS MEAN?

ZECHARIAH 6:2

“With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses,”

If you know anything about me, you know that these two colors, red and black, mean one thing to me. Go DAWGS! The University of Georgia’s colors are red and black. I went to school there and have cheered for our teams ever since. In my office and in my wardrobe, there are a lot of red and black things. Some people say I bleed red and black. I am sure that’s quite true, lol.

We’ll look at the colors of the horses today and tomorrow and see what they represented in the vision of Zechariah. The first one is the red horse. Scholars pretty much agree that this represents the bloody empire of Babylon. They were known for their ferociousness in battle. And the black horse symbolized the Persian (Medes and Persians) empire which also brought in famine and death. We’ll see the other two horses tomorrow.

APPLICATION

Okay Carl, what can you get out of this verse to apply to our lives? Well, let’s see. Both of these horses represented empire that had defeated Israel and had been used by God to judge the nation. So, what has defeated you? What has caused you a spiritual famine? We have all faced those times.

In my life, I can point to one thing that has caused defeat and famine. When I stop having my daily Quiet Times with the Lord, my world begins to fall apart. I stop seeing things like God sees them. I become selfish and self-centered. I long for the things of the world. That always brings spiritual defeat and famine.

It is so important for us to spend time every day with Jesus. Read John 15 today. Make a note at the number of times the word “remain” or “abide” appears in that chapter. Do you not think it is important? You have got to spend time with Him to stay attached to Him. Then and only then will you ward off that defeat and famine. Will you still have tough times? Sure, but He will be with you. Do not fear!

Father, I know through You I can walk victorious every day.

Standard
Access, Asking, Bible, Cleansing, Cross, Direction, Escape, Forgiveness, God's Will, Heaven, Salvation, Scripture

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?

ZECHARIAH 5:10

“So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, ‘Where are they taking the ephah?’”

If you have children, you have probably put up with “explorations.” We put up baby gates and all sorts of contraptions to try to keep the little buggers contained. But lo and behold, they would find ways to escape. I can remember sitting and watching my children trying to figure out how to get loose. I would jokingly ask them, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Zechariah just watched the two winged women swoop down and pick up the ephah with the woman (wickedness) inside and fly away. His first thought was “Where are they going?” I don’t think he was concerned about the woman’s welfare. He was just curious about their destination. By this time, Zechariah wasn’t afraid to ask anything of that angel. (Come back tomorrow to see where they take her.)

APPLICATION

As I was thinking of an application for this verse, the thought came to me – what happens to our sins? Where does God carry them? We have the answer right in Scripture. Psalm 103:11-12 says, “11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.”

That’s a long way! You can’t get to the east by traveling west or vice versa. You just keep traveling in the direction you are going, whether that be heading east or heading west. In other words, you can’t get back that sin once it has been forgiven. It’s gone. Now, you may choose to sin again, but it won’t be that same sin. It will be a brand new one.

God could pile all our sins up in one big heap in heaven (mine would be mountainous) and show them all to us when we get there. But no, He removes them. So, we don’t have to ask that question I asked earlier. We know where He carries our sins – to the cross, where they are forgiven forever. Amen? Amen!

Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Calvary, Calvary
Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near

Standard
Bible, Boundaries, Choices, Cleansing, Commands, Deceit, Devil, Evil, Flesh, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Redemption, Scripture, Sin, Wickedness

PUT A LID ON IT

ZECHARIAH 5:8

“Then he said, ‘This is Wickedness!’ And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening.”

Put a lid on it! You may have heard that expression in regard to asking someone to be quiet, to stop talking. It is usually used when someone keeps rambling on about something until someone gets tired of hearing it. Has that ever happened to you? Have you been told that or told someone else that? It happens to the best of us.

Zechariah watches as the angel “puts a lid on it.” He calls the woman “Wickedness” and shoves her back into the ephah and slams down the lead cover. Obviously, when the angel raised the lid in the previous verse to show Zechariah what was in the ephah, the woman tried to stand or escape. But that was not happening here. Slamming of the lead cover showed that God could and would restrain the sin of the nation. He was in control, not the wickedness symbolized by the woman.

APPLICATION

We need to “put a lid” on sin. Our sinful nature is more prone to let it run free. I remember all too well how sin controlled me. It truly is wickedness. But we can gain control of that if we allow the Holy Spirit to slam the lid on it. We are actually told to do just that.

In Romans 6:12-14 we are told, “12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.”

Well, you can’t argue with that, can you? We are not under the Law. We are under grace. Praise be to God! Sin has no more control over my life through Jesus. He paid the price. He paid off our debts to sin and its master. We are free to live a life away from sin. We still have that sinful nature in us, but the Holy Spirit can restrain that, if we let Him. Will you?

Lord, use Your Holy Spirit in my life to restrain me from sin, to put the lid on it.

Standard
Answers, Asking, Bible, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Scripture, Teaching

HERE WE GO AGAIN

ZECHARIAH 4:13

“So he answered me, saying, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’”

A large part of my ministry career involved supervising people. I felt like I have been a pretty good coach over the years. I tried to answer everyone’s questions. Better yet, I tried to get them to ask the right questions. I wanted them to think for themselves. We teach men in our ministry of Every Man A Warrior to think for themselves and to teach their children to do the same.

That is what the angel is trying to get Zechariah to do – think for himself. This is the second time in this vision that he has given this answer to him. In fact, if you look back at verse 5, this verse is identical to it – the same words. That is not a mistake. Repetition is important for learning. The angel was repeating himself on purpose. Think Zechariah, think!

APPLICATION

Often, in our walk with the Lord, He will not give us the answer immediately. He wants us to grow. He wants us to learn. He is helping us mature as believers. It is like Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:2, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able,…”

Can you imagine living your whole life only drinking milk? You would not be very strong physically. You need other foods to grow. In the same way, God will not spoon feed you all your life. He wants you to grow strong, spiritual muscles, so He allows things in your life to stretch those muscles. He will give you the strength you need, but you will need to push yourself as well.

Now, don’t be afraid to keep asking Him for help. He is always there. But be patient when the answers come slowly. There is a reason for that. He may give you the exact same answer you got last time. That’s okay. That’s for a reason as well. Trust the process He has you in. He is building you into a beautiful vessel.

Lord, I do have to admit that I am impatient sometimes when I ask You for something. Give me more faith, Lord, to trust the process.

Standard