The verses that “spoke” to me today were from
chapter 8….
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Even though it seems
impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem
impossible to me, says the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will
save my people from the east country and from the west country; and I will
bring them to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their
God, in faithfulness and in righteousness….
Just as you have been a cursing among the
nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall
be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong. (Zechariah
8:6-8, 13)
When the Jews lived in exile it must have seemed
impossible to them that any of them would ever return to their hometown of
Jerusalem, and yet the Lord restored them to their homeland. Our God is one who
specializes in performing the impossible. This is what the angel said to the
Blessed Virgin Mary when he told her that she would become pregnant with the
baby Jesus, even though she had never known a man: “For nothing will be
impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)
The God who brought the Jews out of exile and
caused a virgin to conceive our Savior will also through that same Savior bring
us out of exile and enable us to overcome the seemingly impossible obstacles in
our lives. As my father used to say, “The impossible just takes a little
longer.” And that is true with God. Seeing his deliverance may take a little
while, but it will happen.
I also like the emphasis on dual agency in these
verses. God is working to achieve the impossible in our lives, but he also wants
us to work. “Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.” My father also
had another saying, “Work like everything depends upon you and pray as if
everything depends upon God.”
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