This Coming Year

For the Coming Year

Zechariah 1:1-6 “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:

 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.  Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.  Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.  Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever?  But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

So how many times have we heard and or read words similar to this? “Return to Me . . .”. “If My people, who are called by My name . . . .”. “Turn again from your wickedness, and I . . . . .”. How many times do we need to hear it?

Well, quite a lot apparently. Similar words are heard throughout the Bible and throughout history. Gods people turn to God, then gradually slip away again. Then they turn to God again, and gradually slip away again. It’s a recurring theme of scripture. It must be important to God or He would not have put it in more than once.

It demonstrates two things very clearly. First is man’s fickleness in wandering away from God so many times. Second, we see God’s faithfulness to His Word to forgive us and bless us as we return to and stay in His will. This passage is a stark reminder of that and of the consequences of failing to turn back to Him as He treats us the way our activities deserve.

So, as we come to the beginning of another year, I feel the Lord calling His Church back to Him once again. I feel He is calling us all to repentance for sins of both commission and omission.

It is about what we have failed to do just as much as what we have done that is not in the Father’s will. It is as much about our misguided obedience as it is about our rebellion and disobedience. For I feel a certainty in my spirit that says that if we, who are called by His name will turn once more to Him, then He will honour His own word and promises and He will heal our land and bless us once again. It’s not as though He has not blessed us or has stopped blessing us, so much as the blessings we have missed by treading our own path rather than His path.