July 11, 2021 – Zechariah 7-9

Through the prophet, God spoke to the people about their hypocritical fasting. They fasted, not out of love for the Lord; rather, all their religious observances were solely for themselves. So, the Lord responded, “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” (7:13). I cannot imagine a more frightening situation than that of crying out to the Lord and having him refuse to hear. But it was all because of their stubbornness and sinfulness.

The Lord, though, could not, just could not, leave the situation at that. How he loves! How he reaches out! And, so: “I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness” (8:8) & “The Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!” (9:16,17 ESV) That’s what God will do. How are the people to live? “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord” (8:16,17).

I just can never seem to get over God’s goodness to me. How good and faithful is my God! Surely, that’s your testimony! And, surely, none of us is too old to sing with great joy that little song we teach to our children.

God is so good.

God is so good.

God is so good,

He’s so good to me.