ZECHARIAH 8:19

“‘The LORD of armies says this: “The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, jubilation, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.”’”

Have you ever celebrated after a long, tough time? In times past, rural communities would gather together at the end of the harvest to celebrate God’s bounty and having completed the hard work of gathering and processing their crops. All the sweat and long hours were forgotten for a short while.

That’s kind of the picture here in verse 19. These fasts that are mentioned were fasts that the people observed to commemorate a sad time in their history such as the fall of Jerusalem or the destruction of the temple. But now, God tells them these same dates should be turned into festivals and celebrations of what God has done for them in restoring them back to their homeland.

APPLICATION

I love Isaiah 61:3. It gives a message similar to the one we see in today’s verse. “…and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Some people say Isaiah 61:1-3 is Jesus’ job description. Take a look and see what you think.

We are not supposed to stay down. He will lift us up if we will come to Him. Let’s celebrate who we are in Christ. Our days of mourning should be over. Maybe entitling today’s devotion “Let’s Party” sounds a little disrespectful to some of you. But don’t forget that God is the one who said the days of fasting should now be days of festival.

Have you ever been to a festival that was about sadness? No! They are filled with music and food, arts and crafts, more food and even a little dancing. So, let’s do what the Lord said. Let’s celebrate. Let’s party! Let’s rejoice that we are forgiven and free. What do we have to be mournful for? We are children of the King.

Thank You, Lord, that I can celebrate. I do not want to go back to the days before knowing You.