Author: GR 'Scott' Cundiff

Devotional on Zephaniah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – Burgess Falls State Park, TN

A heaping helping of judgment with a little hope on the side
Zephaniah 1: This is the Day of God’s Judgment.
The book of Zephaniah is all about Judgment day. Zephaniah is focused especially on Judah but he broadens his view to include the surrounding nations and he lays a foundation for the doctrine of a future Day of Judgment of the human race. As the prophet looks around he sees a nation that’s not only committed to sin but feels secure in that sin. He, along with other prophets of God, challenges that security. He knows that people can’t ignore God and get away with it. Any comfort they have now will, in God’s time, be washed away when they’re called to give an account of themselves to the Almighty. He warns them that God says, “I care about sin with fiery passion.” Zephaniah’s message carries with it a sense of God’s anger but it also offers some hope to those who “shape up.” There’s hope in this little book, but it comes with a main course of respectful awe of just Who it is we’re dealing with and what’s sure to come to those who ignore its warning.
Take Away: Those who ignore the Lord will, sooner or later, have to give an accounting of themselves to the one they have ignored.

Devotional on Zephaniah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – Burgess Falls State Park, TN

We need to make up our minds
Zephaniah 2: You’re a nation without a clue about what it wants.
The prophet describes a coming day of God’s Judgment. The Lord’s about to demand an accounting from them and it’s clear that they aren’t ready for such a confrontation. Zephaniah tells people that they need to get their act together. They need to stop letting other nations be their primary influence and they need to start living as people who are going to face God. They’ve lost their bearings and are now at the mercy of whatever fad happens to come along. For a little known, mostly ignored, minor book of the Bible, Zephaniah has pretty much nailed my society. My nation has lost its bearings. It doesn’t want all those “Christian hang ups” but it can’t decide what values are worth pursuing. Instead, we’ve become a shallow people, more concerned about being politically correct than we are with being morally righteous. Zephaniah’s warning of Judgment Day needs to be heard here and now. Otherwise, our story is likely to end like that of clueless Judah.
Take Away: Zephaniah’s warning needs to be heard here and now.

Devotional on Zephaniah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – Along Natchez Trace – Fall Hollow

Standing alone if necessary
Zephaniah 2: Seek God, all you quietly disciplined people.
The nation the prophet addresses is filled with sinful, guilty people. However, there’s another, much smaller group. Zephaniah knows that there’s a minority that has humbled themselves before the Lord. They’ve been meek when chastised by God and have quietly accepted his discipline. They’ve been an oasis of justice in an unjust land. Now, Zephaniah says, the Lord is about to bring an end to all the rebellion. God’s man advises those who have swam against the tide to focus their attention on the Lord and center their lives on doing the right thing even if they’re alone in doing it. In this day, I can’t force everyone to do the right thing but that doesn’t stop me from righteous living. I want to influence everyone I can for Christ, but whether or not I’m successful in that, I can commit myself to walk in the ways of the Lord. Zephaniah is certain that the “Day of God’s anger” is coming but he’s also convinced that there is a way of living that prepares us for that sure day.
Take Away: As Joshua of old says: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Devotional on Zephaniah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – Along Natchez Trace – Fall Hollow

We don’t clean house to punish dust
Zephaniah 3: I’ll leave a core of people among you.
The prophet first turns his attention to other nations surrounding Judah. They’re not the chosen people, but they’ve refused the light they’ve been given. Because of that, the Day of Judgment that is such a driving force in Zephaniah’s preaching is coming to them too. When I read of Judgment in the Old Testament I sometimes come away thinking of God as punishing those who reject him. However, this passage takes me in a different direction. Zephaniah says that when God’s finished, he’ll leave a core of people who “will not do wrong.” If a person cleans house, wiping everything clean, they aren’t punishing the dust. Instead, they’re just cleaning things up like they ought to be. Through his prophets, the Lord cautions, warns, and pleads with people to repent and align themselves with his purpose for their lives. In the end, the Judgment that falls on those who refuse this patient call of the Lord is the result of their own refusal to connect to their Creator. I know that there’s a place to think about an angry God but I’m reminded today that a God who loves righteousness is bound by his own nature to take action when his creatures reject his righteousness. When the Lord’s finished, things will be drastically different and one of those changes will be that we’ll see core of previously unnoticed people still standing. “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Take Away: A God who loves righteous must, ultimately, deal decisively with sin.

Devotional on Zephaniah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – Along Natchez Trace – Fall Hollow

After Judgment Day comes Homecoming Day
Zephaniah 3: On Judgment Day I’ll bring you back home.
The prophet’s description of Judgment Day has some scary stuff in it. The Lord’s calling Israel into court and, he says they’ll “they’ll lose everything they have.” Still, the result will be a purging of the land. There won’t be many people left, but those who are left will be clean in God’s sight. However, even those who are dispersed among the nations won’t be tossed aside and forgotten. There’s redemption even in their situation. In the end, the redeemed people of Israel will be reunited and their long exile will come to an end. With that in mind, I see that, ultimately, Judgment Day yields to Homecoming Day. The Day of Judgment isn’t all about punishment. Rather, it’s part of the Lord’s plan to reconcile the lost to him. The little book of Zephaniah ends, not with wailing and gnashing of teeth, but instead with reunions and celebration. I can learn from this passage. The end-of-the-world Judgment Day is surely something for which to prepare. However, in the big picture, it’s the event necessary to usher in something wonderful for all of God’s people.
Take Away: The plan of the Lord is to unite all who will come with one another and with himself.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – Along Natchez Trace – Fall Hollow

Ministering to material girls (and boys)
Haggai 1: God’s Message was delivered by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah.
The writer of the previous book of the Old Testament, Zephaniah, is long dead. The things he and Jeremiah preached about have come true. Israel and Judah fell to Babylon. Jerusalem, including their beloved Temple, was looted and then leveled. The years pass and men of God like Ezekiel and Daniel take the baton of God’s revelation. As promised, Babylon falls to Persia, led by Cyrus. It’s then that the curtain lifts on the next stage of God’s promises. Cyrus and later on, Darius, allows the Jews who desire to do so to return to their homeland. Before long, we hear the prophecies of Obadiah, Haggai, and Zechariah and the stories of Nehemiah and Ezra. To some extent all the Minor Prophets have targeted messages. For instance, both Jonah’s and Nahum’s entire stories are focused on God’s intentions for Nineveh. Habakkuk’s work is centered on God’s use of the Babylonians to discipline his people Israel. Haggai’s specialty is the attitude of the returned exiles concerning the rebuilding of the Temple. This prophet is a practical person. If there was ever a message in the Old Testament that speaks to a materialistic age this is it.
Take Away: The Lord has something to say to every generation in every circumstance.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – David Crockett State Park, Lawrenceburg, TN

Changing priorities
Haggai 1: The people procrastinate.
The land of Judah reels from a drought: no rain means no crops means no food. It’s a serious situation. Governor Zerubbabel feels a shred of hope as he sees prophet Haggai coming to meet him. Maybe the prophet has prevailed upon the Lord to send some rain. However, Haggai disappoints the governor. He’s heard from the Lord God and what he’s heard isn’t about rain. God’s man says that God’s displeased with them because they’ve settled in to their homeland but haven’t yet rebuilt the Temple. The Lord’s complaint is that they’ve found time to make their homes comfortable but they haven’t found time to repair the Temple which lies in ruins. Now, this charge of God doesn’t come the first day they arrive in Jerusalem. It’s likely that Haggai arrived with that first group of 50,000 people who returned from exile around 16 years earlier. At that time there was considerable emphasis on rebuilding the Temple. However, other needs were pressing so the Temple project was suspended as the city of Jerusalem was secured, permanent homes were constructed, and agricultural concerns were addressed. Along the way people got used to seeing the Temple as it was. Now, a serious drought threatens their welfare. Haggai says the lack of rain is God’s doing. The Lord’s getting their attention. There was a time for them to deal with the necessities of life but when the time came for them to take care of the Temple they put it off. This little book of our Old Testament is all about priorities. Apparently, the Lord didn’t mind their focusing on dealing with housing and food needed for survival. However, their place of worship was also a necessity and the Lord expected that matter to become a priority to them when the time was right. Today, I’m reminded that the priorities of my life are in constant flux. What I need to do at 8:00 in the morning gives way to what needs to be done at 11:00. Like a river, life flows along. Because of that, I have to keep up with the current priorities of my life.
Take Away: We have to keep up with the current priorities of our lives.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff
2013 – Along Natchez Trace – David Crockett State Park

The secret to satisfaction
Haggai 1: Take a good, hard look at your life.
The work of the Temple was put on hold years earlier because people felt they needed to concentrate on the necessities of life. They built homes and cleared land for planting crops. They built walls to protect them in what had become a dangerous land. Meanwhile, the Temple was left in ruins. Now, as they face a devastating drought, God’s man tells them it’s time to take a hard look at their lives. All their building and planting is meaningless without God. Even with plates full of food and warm clothing to wear they’ve faced an inner dissatisfaction with life. Their neglect of the Temple is a symptom of something even more important. Beyond the building, they’ve left the God of the building out on the periphery of their lives. Without him life is empty and meaningless. Their mistake is both colossal and common. The worship of God is not a luxury to be put on hold till “important” things are cared for. In fact, worship is a core necessity and without God, nothing ever satisfies. We can’t be too hard on the people of Haggai’s day because we too tend to view worship as something that can be pushed aside as we pursue things we deem to be more important. The issue isn’t that God’s unhappy with us and will find a way to get back at us for ignoring him. Instead, it’s that when we leave God out, we’re ignoring the central need of our lives. In the case before us, that’s evidenced by their failure to rebuild the Temple. In our case, it might be that we don’t show a proper interest in the worship of God. When we fail here, we find that all other successes in life taste like failures. When we succeed here, we find that everything else in life finds its proper place.
Take Away: Without the Lord life is empty and meaningless.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2015 – Natchez Trace, TN

Sacred Space
Haggai 1: Do it just for me. Honor me.
I was out doing some errands this week and dropped by the church for a minute. No one was there but me but when I went into the sanctuary, almost without thinking, I removed my hat. At that point I smiled to myself that no one would know whether or not I removed my hat in reverence and I wondered if the Lord even cared. I’ve seen church guys working in the building who went in and out of the sanctuary without a thought about it and, frankly, I’m okay with that. Still, there’s something about being in that place where we worship the Lord that makes it special to me and I want my actions there, even on a Monday when no one else is around, to reflect that reality. Through his prophet the Lord calls for the people of that day to pick up the task of rebuilding the Temple. Practically speaking, they can worship the Lord anywhere. As Jesus put it in John 4:24: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Still, there’s value in setting aside sacred space. Haggai tells them that God feels honored when people make a special effort to provide a place of worship. While I understand that the Temple has a unique role in the life of the people of Israel I still think there’s a connection between it and the place where I worship. We should seriously think about the fact that the Lord didn’t say, through Haggai, “You can worship me anywhere, just do it with all your heart” but, instead said, “Rebuild the Temple; do it just for me. Honor me.”
Take Away: There’s value in setting aside sacred space.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2015 – Natchez Trace, TN

The correct focus in worship
Haggai 1: The little you have brought…I’ve blown away.
The people being addressed in Haggai’s short story aren’t pagans who have turned their backs on God to worship another. They aren’t godless people at all. Despite their having ruins instead of a Temple they have worship services. As faithful Jews they bring sacrifices and observe the feasts and regulations of their religion. Yet, somehow, their worship experience is dissatisfying to them. As they leave these events they feel they’ve been faithful in keeping all that which is required of them but they remain empty inside. Haggai puts his finger on the problem. In reframing their religion to suit themselves they’ve blundered into a religion that the God they worship rejects. Failure to rebuild the Temple is the symptom of this larger problem. This situation speaks to me today and its tone isn’t soothing! How much of my religious life is founded on obligation and tradition and how much of it is about a living, vital relationship with God? While I’m busy being sure all the details of worship are taken care of have I forgotten that it isn’t me who’s in charge? What makes me think God will accept a self-centered worship effort from me in the first place? The thing is that as I picture the people of Haggai’s day walking out of a worship service feeling that somehow something is missing, I can identify with them. That, my friends, makes me very uncomfortable.
Take Away: Our religious lives are to be founded on a living, vital relationship with God.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2013 – Middle Tennessee

My attitude toward things that matter to the Lord
Haggai 1: I’ve matched your tight-fisted stinginess.
Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Generally, I put about 95% of the emphasis on the first part of that statement. I certainly know I need the Lord’s forgiveness for the many “debts” of my life. It makes me a bit uncomfortable to realize that the Lord uses the level of my forgiving attitude toward those indebted to me as his measure of his forgiveness in my life. In the passage before me today the Lord uses Haggai to deliver a message concerning current events in the lives of the people of his day. They’ve been stingy in their support for rebuilding the Temple. Now, the Lord says he’s treating them with that same level of stinginess. They’re holding back in supporting the rebuilding of the Temple and the Lord’s holding back in his provision of rain for their crops. I’m glad today for the abundant generosity of God. His provision in my life greatly exceeds all that I do for him. Still, there’s a time to be reminded that some of the Lord’s blessings to me are linked to my attitude toward the things that matter to the Lord. Jesus teaches me to pray, “Lord, forgive me to the same extent that I forgive others.” Today, Haggai adds that I should be able to pray, “Lord, care for the needs of my life in the same way I care for the place in which I worship you.” If that makes me squirm a bit, well, maybe it’s supposed to!
Take Away: Remember that some of the Lord’s blessings to us are linked to our attitude towards the things that matter to him.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2013 – Tombigbee State Park, Tupelo, MS

Listening and honoring
Haggai 1: In listening to Haggai, they honored God.
The drought has everyone worried. If rain doesn’t come soon the resulting famine will bring misery and death. Not only that, but there’s a general dissatisfaction among the returned exiles. Even when they do things that ought to satisfy they’re left feeling empty. Then Haggai brings his sermon. He says that the reason for no rain is that God’s getting their attention. They’re living self-centered lives and have failed to honor him by rebuilding the Temple. He also says that the reason for their general dissatisfaction is that they’ve been looking for satisfaction in the wrong things. Only the Lord can satisfy their lives and they can experience him only by putting him first. At this point the people stand where their ancestors stood many times through the years. Will they listen to the message from God or will they harden their hearts and become more entrenched than ever in their refusal to honor him? Their answer is a resounding decision to obey the voice of the Lord. Where their ancestors failed they succeed. This watershed moment is rewarded with a further message from the Lord who declares, “I am with you!” I love what happens here. As I’ve read through the Prophets I’ve encountered one instance of rebellion after another. How refreshing it is to hear God’s prophet declare God’s message to God’s people and see them listen and obey. It’s almost as though the sun breaks through the clouds to shine down on the words I’m reading. The people of Haggai’s day messed up, but when God got their attention and declared his intentions they responded in humble obedience. Personally, I’d rather not mess up in the first place but when I do, I want their “listening and honoring” to be my inspiration.
Take Away: Better to do it the Lord’s way all along, but if not, it’s good to at least humbly accept his correction and move forward from there.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2013 – Along Natchez Trace – David Crockett State Park

Me, doing my part
Haggai 2: I own the silver, I own the gold.
Every Jew knows about the Temple. Even though it was destroyed decades ago they’ve heard stories of its glory. A few of the old people actually saw it when they were children. It could be that one reason the returned exiles have neglected the rebuilding of the Temple is because they don’t think they can do it justice and whatever they do will be a pale reflection of the great Temple of history. For one thing, they can’t furnish it in silver and gold as their ancestors did when they first built the Temple. Fearing that they can’t do a good enough job of rebuilding they haven’t started at all. Now, in Haggai’s second sermon, he tells the people they don’t have to worry about that. If they do what they can do God will do the rest. In this case, the Lord’s word is that he’ll provide the silver and gold if they just get started on the building. So what is it in my life that’s never been started because I know I lack the resources to complete it? Is my failure here not so much resource-based as it is faith-based? Years earlier the ancestors of Haggai’s congregation were told to march forward through the Red Sea. Even though they didn’t have the resources to dam up the waters, they obeyed. When they did what they could do, God did the rest. What might the Lord do in my life if I would simply do what I can do while trusting the One who owns the silver and gold of this world to do the rest?
Take Away: We do our part while trusting the Lord to do his.

Devotional on Haggai

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2013 – LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, Jackson, MS

Sorting out a passage and finding at its core: grace
Haggai 2: From now on you can count on a blessing.
“Temple fever” is sweeping the nation as governor Zerubbabel and his people give themselves to the rebuilding project. One group that’s especially energized is the priests who’ve served without a Temple. They’re sure things are going to be much better once the Temple is restored. Haggai comes teach them a core spiritual truth and he does so by asking two questions. Question number one has to do with imparted holiness. If meat from a sacrifice is put into some priest’s pocket, it will make his robe holy, but what about other foods then touched by the robe? The priests respond that there’s no ripple effect concerning what other foods the robe might touch. Therefore, those foods remain unholy. The second question concerns the flip side of things. If a person touches a corpse, becoming ceremonially unclean and then touches various foods, do they also become unclean? The answer is “yes” – the “uncleanness” is imparted to whatever that person touches. Haggai then tells them that the sacrifices they’ve been making haven’t been proper because of their spiritual failure. The sin of not rebuilding the Temple has impacted all they’ve done, making them all worthless. Even as a person who touches a corpse makes all they touch unclean, so has their disobedience concerning the rebuilding of the Temple had a negative impact on all their religious practices. The flip side, which I wish Haggai had more clearly stated, is just as disturbing. Just offering proper sacrifices in the rebuilt Temple isn’t going to have the hoped for ripple effect of making the entire nation holy. It’s like the robe touched by the sanctified meat. It’s made holy but that’s as far as it goes. Touching other things with that robe won’t make them also holy. In other words, rebuilding the Temple isn’t a cure-all. Still, the prophet has some wonderful, and educational, news. From the moment they returned to God he began to bless them. His blessings weren’t a result of their making the right kind of sacrifices; in fact, they weren’t the right kind. Rather the blessings were the result of his grace. As I read this especially confusing little passage I come away with a better grasp of this truth: sin has contaminated our entire lives, making us exempt from any hope of self-manufactured holiness. Even when I return to God, my renewed commitment to him will still come up short because of the contamination of sin that has ruled my life. However, I’m not without hope because of God’s grace. He blesses me, not because I’ve managed to restore all that was broken but because he chooses to respond to my surrender to him with wonderful grace.
Take Away: The blessings of the Lord are the result of his grace.

Devotional on Zechariah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2014 – Arches National Park, Utah

God’s gracious offer
Zechariah 1: Come back to me and I’ll come back to you.
Haggai isn’t the only preacher talking about rebuilding the Temple. Zechariah is right there with him calling for the reconstruction of the place of worship. In fact, long after Haggai has disappeared from the world stage we find Zechariah still proclaiming God’s message. Zechariah is an encourager to his people, reminding them that, as his name means: “The Lord remembers.” He wants them to know that God remembers the promises he made to their ancestors and that they can depend on him to keep those promises. His book starts with very good news as the Lord says to them, “Come back to me and I’ll come back to you.” One doesn’t have to have lived 2500 years ago to be stirred by these words. The Lord isn’t a hard, unforgiving Judge who’s out to destroy us. Instead, he’s compassionate and merciful; patiently inviting us to respond to his message of hope. Again, I don’t have to be one of the ancient returned exiles to be thrilled with this invitation. In Christ, that invitation is enhanced and God’s intense desire is made even clearer. When I turn to the Lord I find that he’s already met me more than half way – that happened on a hill called Calvary.
Take Away: When we come to the Lord we find that, not only is he willing to forgive us, but that he loves showing us mercy.

Devotional on Zechariah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2014 – Arches National Park, Utah

Legacy of faithfulness
Zechariah 1: But the Message…isn’t dead and buried.
Zechariah remembers the stories of the old time prophets of his history. They were spiritual giants like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel. These mighty men proclaimed God’s message with, admittedly, limited contemporary success. The people of their day ignored their message and faced the consequences. Now, all that is in the distant past and the people God claimed as his own are back in their home country, reestablishing their lives there. Zechariah has a new word from the Lord. Well, the word is new, but the message is old. The Lord still calls people to an obedient walk with himself. He still invites those who will to live in his fellowship and to participate in his holiness. The messengers might have changed, but the purpose of God remains. It’s humbling to realize that, as a pastor, I have a role in this process today. I know that someday my voice will be silenced (hopefully, not for a few decades yet) and hope that when the kids (these days, that’s anyone less than thirty) look back on my ministry that they’ll remember me as one who was faithful in proclaiming the timeless truths of God.
Take Away: As people look back on our lives let them remember us as those who were faithful to God’s call on our lives.

Devotional on Zechariah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2013 – Tombigbee State Park – Tupelo, MS – road to the park

Not acting like a bully
Zechariah 1: …Godless nations that act as if they own the whole world.
About half of this book of Zechariah contains descriptions of visions the prophet is given. In the first vision the Lord tells Zechariah that he’s angry with “godless nations that act as if they own the whole world.” Not only is the Lord angry, he’s about to do something about it. The Lord had given the mega-powers of the region authority over Israel but they went too far, crushing that tiny nation without any show of mercy. The Lord says he was angry with Israel, but now he’s very angry with these nations that acted without mercy. The vision is intended to condemn those world powers while comforting powerless Israel. I’m reminded as I read these words that I live in a nation that is a world power. We have the economic and military might to dominate others. The vision of the prophet speaks to me, not as one of the oppressed but instead, as one of the powerful. God has a history of looking out for the needs of the powerless and of holding the powerful accountable. We aren’t to go around the world flexing our muscles like a bully who always has to get his own way. The truth is that we don’t own the whole world and we had better remember who does!
Take Away: It’s God’s world and we’re accountable to him for how we live in his world.

Devotional on Zechariah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2015 – LeFleur’s Bluff State Park – Jackson, MS

A wonderful promise
Zechariah 2: A wall of fire around…and a radiant presence within.
When the exiles arrived at Jerusalem they found a city in ruins, uninhabitable. They went to work rebuilding their city and its protective wall. In fact, there’s a book of the Bible, Nehemiah, which is almost completely focused on the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. Now, Zachariah is told that, due to the Lord’s blessing, Jerusalem’s going to outgrow its walls. There’s no need to fear though, because God, himself, is going to be a wall of fire around that city, protecting it from all invaders. The prophet adds that, even better, God’s presence is going to be burning inside the city as well. I know that these words are spoken to the Israelites as a nation and not as individuals. Indeed, it’s a wonderful promise to these exiles as they labor to re-establish themselves in this land that was promised to them centuries earlier. Still, I can’t help but internalize this promise. The Lord is with me. He surrounds me with his presence. Nothing comes into my life that he doesn’t allow. Meanwhile, in my heart, I enjoy the “radiant presence” of the Lord. He protects me and he blesses me. I know that in a Christian sense, the passage is rightly applied to the bride of Christ, the Church. Still, it’s a terrific promise to take to heart and I’m thankful for it today.
Take Away: Thank the Lord for his protection and his blessings.

Devotional on Zechariah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2013 – LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, Jackson, MS

A courtroom scene
Zechariah 3: Get him out of those filthy clothes.
In his vision Zechariah sees the high priest, whose name is Joshua, in a courtroom scene. Joshua represents not only himself, or the priesthood of Israel, but the entire nation. Their situation is a dire one. Even though they’ve been snatched from the consequences of their sin and returned to their homeland, they remain unclean before God. And that’s what the Accuser comes to declare. However, there’s a remedy. In the vision, the Lord removes the high priest’s uncleanness and outfits him in clean clothes. Then, the prophet asks that Joshua be given a clean turban as well. Now, remember that Joshua’s the high priest. The clothes he’s given aren’t just average clothes and the turban isn’t an average turban. They’re the robes and turban of the high priest: rich garments reflecting his high position. That hat, in particular, has meaning. The turban worn by the high priest has a gold plate on it that’s inscribed with the words “Holiness unto the Lord.” This is powerful symbolism. Although the people are redeemed they remain unclean in the sight of the Lord. Through the mercy and grace of God there’s a remedy. The Lord purifies their lives and then outfits them in his holiness. Believers of today can identify with this. After I put my faith in Jesus as my Savior I come to realize that there remains a basic uncleanness in my heart. It’s when I throw himself to the mercy of God that he takes action to graciously purify my heart and fill me with his Holy Spirit that I might be holy in his sight.
Take Away: Through the mercy and grace of the Lord there’s a remedy for the stain of sin.

Devotional on Zechariah

GR 'Scott' Cundiff

2014 – Sumner Lake State Park, NM

God powered
Zechariah 4: You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit.
This statement to governor Zerubbabel is part of one of the most famous portions of Zechariah’s writings. Zerubbabel has already accomplished great things in leading the exiles back to Jerusalem. Now, in response to the urgings of Haggai and Zechariah he’s ready to shoulder the task of rebuilding the Temple. His heart, and the hearts of his people, is in the right place. God is pleased with them. The Lord’s words to the good man and his people are wonderfully encouraging: the Temple will be rebuilt not because of some extraordinary human effort, but by the power of God’s Spirit. This doesn’t mean that the governor and people can sit back and do nothing while a Temple rises from the ashes of destruction, but it does mean that the power for this project is coming from God. The Lord is with them, not only approving of their actions but empowering them as well. With that in mind I see here that my efforts to accomplish things in the Name of the Lord aren’t limited by my own initiative, skills, or intelligence. Every program of the church should be eligible for the label: “God powered.” If that isn’t an encouraging word I don’t know what is.
Take Away: What we accomplish in the Name of the Lord we accomplish by the power of the Lord.

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