The Favor of the LORD

 

Zachariah 8:18-23

 

And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,   “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore, love truth, and peace.

 “Thus, says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities.  The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’   

 

Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.  Thus, says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

God is instructing Zachariah, to bring this message to the people who have returned from captivity, it was not necessary to continue fasting and mourning the destruction of Jerusalem.  It is a new day, a new beginning, fasts of lamentation were to be transformed into times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals.  In 1970 our home was destroyed, most of it gone with all our earthly possession.  We lived on five acres in Oden, Texas, and we called it the Oleo Ranch, cheap spread.  Our next-door neighbor also lived in a 12’ x 60’ trailer on five acres with five of them in the trailer.  Both of us were without homes and we were not protected by insurance, when we settle with the insurance company, we got $3000,00.

 

We both build homes on the land, the difference was my neighbor's wife was very angry with God and kept living in the past as if she could not see the new three-bedroom house all brick home she was now enjoying.  Jan and I were new believers and everywhere we turn we saw God’s blessing on our life and new home.

 

Jerusalem went from captivity to abundance, and all the nations around them, that at one time despised they now looked at Jerusalem and its God as a place they wanted to visit and learn from.

 

When God show-up in your life, people will do as they did to my friend Johnny Anderson, often people would stop him and ask what’s different about you.  I’ve only had that happen one time from a receptionist at a distributor I called on often.  One day she said you are different from all the other salespeople that call on us, why?  I ask if she would ask one of the other secretaries to join us for lunch and I would give her the answer to her question.  It never happens.

 

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice