The future hope
Opening Prayer
Faithful God, help me to be faithful even in the face of opposition.
Read Zechariah 10:1-12
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
[1] Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. [2] The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd. [3] “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. [4] From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. [5] Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame. [6] “I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. [7] The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD. [8] I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. [9] Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. [10] I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. [11] They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away. [12] I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will live securely,” declares the LORD. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Where were the people looking for answers?The custom of seeking advice about the future from idols, divination and false prophets had been condemned long before the exile (1 Sam. 15:23), yet clearly it was still practiced by the returners. It resulted in them going in the wrong direction, for which the leaders were being held directly responsible (3a). Ultimately God himself was to be their shepherd. In the first part of the poem that follows (3b–6), God promises his people that they will be strengthened for battle with a reassurance of his commitment to them (6). The second part of the poem (7–12) reiterates the promise of God’s strength, with an additional note that future generations will recognize and benefit from this (7,9,12). At the time of today’s note’s writing, Christians in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, are facing hardship and the threat of elimination. Zechariah’s words impel us to pray for any of God’s people who long to see evidence of God’s strength and power in their communities (which for many are refugee camps) and their nation at large. The custom of seeking advice about the future from idols, divination and false prophets had been condemned long before the exile (1 Sam. 15:23), yet clearly it was still practiced by the returners. It resulted in them going in the wrong direction, for which the leaders were being held directly responsible (3a). Ultimately God himself was to be their shepherd. In the first part of the poem that follows (3b–6), God promises his people that they will be strengthened for battle with a reassurance of his commitment to them (6). The second part of the poem (7–12) reiterates the promise of God’s strength, with an additional note that future generations will recognize and benefit from this (7,9,12). At the time of today’s note’s writing, Christians in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, are facing hardship and the threat of elimination. Zechariah’s words impel us to pray for any of God’s people who long to see evidence of God’s strength and power in their communities (which for many are refugee camps) and their nation at large.
Apply
Use the headlines in today’s news to inform your prayers for threatened Christian minority groups.
Closing prayer
Lord, You are the only hope for our lives and for the lives of those we love.
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