BIBLE READING: Zechariah 7-8

“Now the people of Bethel had sent… men to entreat the favor of the LORD, saying… “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”” (Zechariah 7.3)

Israel was trying to get it right this time. They knew Babylonian captivity was a result of their unfaithfulness. They had suffered in destruction and exile. They knew changes need to be made. They knew God would be pleased with nothing less than their devoted obedience.

In their effort to return to God, they reinstated many practices that had been neglected. But, even with previously established patterns, they did not want to presume upon God’s wishes for them. In Zechariah 7, they specifically asked Zechariah if this fast was what the LORD wanted from them (7.3). Ultimately, God tells them yes (8.18-19); but not before he asks them a soul-searching question: were you doing it for me? (7.5)

They had performed this fast for years, even during captivity… but was it really for God? The implication is clear: Their obedience was important; but it could not simply be about going through the motions. The fast should have developed an attitude of mercy and kindness, leading them to serve others in need (Zechariah 7.9-10). Ultimately, God wanted his people to understand the purpose of the fast was not to appease him but to change their hearts desire (7.10b).

God was not trying to pour salt in the wound of their failures; he was trying to position them to do these things properly. Obedience must always be done mindful of the One who had given it to them. The feasts and fasts by themselves were of no value but were always intended to affect the heart of the worshipper.

We can easily do all the right things in our worship but miss the point. Worship is about God. This isn’t to say God is somehow incomplete if we fail to make it about him. He doesn’t need the processes or the sacraments. They are important insofar as they lead to humble obedience as we focus our attention on God. It’s all about him.

If worship does not honor God, it is not worship. If worship is not an obedient response to God, it is not worship. Like these people, we must connect how worship should produce an attitude of righteousness and kindness and mercy towards our fellow man. As we bend our will to honor God, worship changes us because we then see ourselves and the world more clearly.

There is a strong warning for us as a group: We must not only consider how God wants us to worship, but we must constantly be evaluating whether what we offer is honoring God. If we put too much confidence in our righteous actions, we may become like the Pharisees and think more of ourselves then we should. If we become flippant in our worship, we disrespect his worthiness. In every act of worship, we must ask ourselves, “is it for God?”

BIBLE READING: Zechariah 1

“Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? (Zechariah 1.5)

A previous generation failed, and the consequences were evident. Captivity and destruction, just as God had promised. God was angry with them, not for one specific sin but for the deafness of their ears. He had called and they would not listen. He had spoken and they would not pay attention (Zechariah 1.4b). They were not unaware: God sent many prophets with the same message. The law was written down for them to see plain as day. They were simply unmoved by what they heard.

Those people died. The prophets who warned them died. Everything that God revealed came to pass. But something stuck around for the next generation. “…my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?” (Zechariah 1.6a).

These people knew and had seen the outcome of God’s warnings through the prophets. God’s desire, expectation, and judgment remained –the same as it was for the previous generation— as motivation for the next. It would with certainty overtake them as well. Now what would they do with it? They took it seriously and repented (Zechariah 1.6b).

A challenge we all have is learning to listen. Children struggle with it as they become more independent. They have a will and a way that seems right to them. They are convinced that getting their way is best. This tends to become more pronounced as they get older. With wisdom and age, we expect children will learn and become more receptive to wisdom. When that doesn’t happen, it is evident that is not how it should be. We were not designed to remain as immature, stubborn children.

Sadly, we don’t always have the same expectations for spiritual development. Many people plateau in their spiritual growth and become dull of hearing (Hebrews 5.11). They fail to see the serious nature of daily obedience and sensitivity to God’s word because they’ve already been saved. But that misses the point. God doesn’t want us to be obedient—he wants us to be receptive to him.

We are given the same admonition as these folks: Don’t be like those previous generations (1 Corinthians 10.6-12); Listen up and do what you know is right, today (Hebrews 3-4; James 4.16). God’s word is firmly fixed (Psalm 119.89), but we can be numbed by the distance between the present and these moments of judgment. We must understand these stories are given so we would be warned and beware.

God’s word will overtake all of us without exception. His judgment will come and those who have not listened will be no different than these generations of the past (2 Peter 2-3). We must trust what God has revealed and let it motivate us to urgency and repentance. Furthermore, when you and I are long gone, his words will remain in place for the next generation. Because they are eternal, they will be in judgement with us, either for approval or condemnation (John 12.48). As the writer of Hebrews aptly said, “Let us not refuse him who is speaking to us.” (Hebrews 12.25)

BIBLE READING: Philippians 3

“…I have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more… but whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3.4-7)

A friend of mine joined a support group for people dealing with addictions. At each meeting they always started with an introduction: “My name is ___ and I’m dealing with ___” He talked about how, at first, it was good for him to admit his struggle. But over time it felt like he was just identifying with his problem rather than getting rid of it. If he wanted to move on, he needed to let go of his past failures and adopt a new identity.

The same is true in our walk of faith. In Christ we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5.17), but things from our past sometimes linger. Following Christ requires a radical change of thinking that can be incredibly difficult to adopt (Philippians 2.3-5). For some, failure can feel like an inevitable identity. But one of the great promises of God is that when we turn away from sin, he forgives our past and empowers our future (Hebrews 8.12; 1 John 1.9).

However, even as we mature, there are habits and attitudes that can remain because they are justified by our identity. For instance, our lack of love can be justified by a commitment to truth. We’re not all bad, we’re just not doing everything perfectly. We cannot be satisfied with this “lesser of two evils” attitude. We need to be resolute in changing any area of life inconsistent with the nature of God.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2.20). We must appreciate Paul’s word choice here: he describes his actions in the strongest possible terms. He had brutally executed his former self and left it behind for something of surpassing worth (Philippians 3.13-14). Notice that Paul doesn’t enumerate his past to wallow or boast. Instead, he does it to identify what he is getting rid of.

We are not always mindful of who – or rather whose— we are choosing to be. We need to understand our identity is important to God. On the day of judgment, He will say to many “I never knew you” (Matthew 7.23). But to those who choose to know him, He will welcome them home (Matthew 25.34). If you were to die today what would God say about you?

In Christ, we are given a new and wonderful identity. By the grace of God, we are children of the king, heirs of the promise, and conquerors over whatever comes our way. That is our identity if we choose it. But we must get rid of excuses and be who we need to be today.

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3.8)

BIBLE READING: Habakkuk 3

“I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.” (Habakkuk 3.16)

We all get frustrated with the events we experience: injustice in government, lukewarmness in the church, the wicked prospering. Asking God “How long?” and to act for the sake of righteousness and justice, especially among his people, is a very right thing to pray for. We ought to have a deep-seated trust that God is good and will make things right.

But, as with Habakkuk, we need to be warned what happens next. We might ask for God to bring justice or revival or make things right; but that might mean we have to suffer too. How God accomplishes his purposes often refines everyone involved.

This can be uncomfortable and even unsettling for us; but we should take comfort that God is firmly in control of the future, even planning it long before it happens. The Chaldeans didn’t just happen randomly in history—God raised them up (Habakkuk 1.6). He knew this humbling would cause many to turn their attention towards him. He knew how this terrible season for Judah would lead to revival among those who were truly his. In the same way, God knows the things going on with our government and in our world. He sees the challenges we face in our churches. He knows, personally, what each of us is going through in our hearts and minds. But we must recognize that He has seen every moment that we exist in because he created it (Psalm 139.16). When the bible tells us for everything there is a season, it is because God knows exactly what we need.

He is firmly in control of the future, even telling us what to expect. There will be sorrow, death and war (Ecclesiastes 3.1-8). There will be suffering for our faith (2 Timothy 3.12). We experience the discipline of the Lord (Hebrews 12.5-11). We should expect that God is molding and refining us but is always working towards an end that is best for us (Romans 8.28). When we can get on board with that reality then we will understand Habakkuk’s resolution:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” (Habakkuk 3.17-19)

Habakkuk knew things were not going to get better, but he committed to quietly wait for what came next. Why? Things always go as God says. Circumstances will change, but God will not. His promises are sure. His nature is consistent. What he has done in the past points to what he will do in the future, and we can order our lives around him with utter confidence. And with that comes peace.

BIBLE READING: James 1

Four people stand with their hands clasped, carefully bracing themselves. A woman stands in front of them with her back turned, slowly leaning backwards. It is a trust fall exercise where she is supposed to fall backwards into their arms… but she is anxious about letting herself fall.

The trust fall is a common activity used in team building intended to build trust in others. But many people falter or are afraid to do it because there are factors outside of their control. That tends to be human nature—we fear the unknown. But what if you knew with certainty that everything would be fine? Those people would catch you and no factor could alter your choice to trust them. That would not only affect your attitude but your willingness and ultimately your choices.

The wise man tells us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3.5). In many ways our faith is a trust fall as we lean into God. But sometimes falter and are afraid to do that. Why? The truth is, it has nothing to do with his inability and everything to do with our lack of trust. We allow external factors to loom large in our minds: the actions of others; our weaknesses and failures; our past choices and present circumstances; our fear. Like the spies who saw the giants in Canaan (Number 13), we see the challenges as not only relevant, but insurmountable. If we allow these things to dominate our thinking, what does it say about how we see God?

For this reason, James calls this way of thinking “double-minded” and “unstable” (James 1.8). For someone to profess God but continue in fear is negligent and insulting to the One who has proven sufficient in all circumstances. James compares it to waves of the sea, painting a chaotic existence that is irrational and dangerous. This is not God’s desire for us but occurs when we fail to trust him.

The things written in scripture give us ample reason to trust God’s power and promises (Romans 15.4). He is faithful and sovereign over history, even down into our very lives. But even more, his power is not only greater than our weakness but is even shown through them (2 Corinthians 12.9-10). He has told us not to worry (Matthew 6.34), and to ask him for wisdom and he will give it (James 1.5).

God's revealed nature informs our trust. We may feel like we are falling, but he assures us he is with us in every season. He does not promise to change our circumstances but for us to embrace the peace of knowing he is in control. And so instead of fretful fear, let us learn to lean into the promises of God and ask (James 1.5). Let us rest in the knowledge that he gives generously, regardless of past choices or present circumstances. Let us ask in faith with no doubting. It can be scary and uncomfortable, but he will not fail us.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4.6-7)