December 25

Zechariah 8:1-23, Revelation 16:1-21, Psalm 144:1-15, Proverbs 30:29-31 

Pray: Lord, the Red Sea did not open up until Moses stuck his foot in the water. Remind me to do what You say rather than wait for a blessing that will not and cannot come until I put my foot in the water.

Read: (Zechariah 8:4-5) "This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All of this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it possible for me? Says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." God is a promise keeper. But much of what He promises seems impossible. There was but a small remnant of Israel left. God speaks to the remnant and tells them to be strong and finish the task. He is telling you and I the same thing. Grab His promises and hold on. Keep hanging on until they take place. The foundation for the temple had been laid but it had remained unbuilt for a long time. There were no jobs and there was no money. And the city of Jerusalem was not safe. What better time to start a building project? God relishes impossible circumstances to begin His work. At the worst possible time for men we discover that God says, “Get started and get going.” Rebuild the temple for the blessing of peace, prosperity, and abundance follows obedience. Change your periods of mourning and proclaim periods of joy and celebration.

Edify: God’s ways are not our ways. It is not unusual for God to pick the worst possible time under the worst possible circumstances to show Himself strong. The inhabitants of Jerusalem had no money, most had no jobs, and the city was not safe. So what does God say? BUILD!

Practice: God sees the end and works His way back to the beginning. We see the beginning and hope for a good ending. God saw the temple as completed, yet the stones had not been laid. His commands were based on things the people of Jerusalem could not visualize. Some of us, most of us, wait to be blessed BEFORE we start to obey. This is very poor practice and even worse theology. Here is the thing. Provision comes after obedience not before it. The blessing follows obedience. The jobs, the money, the crops, and the peace would come…but only after stones were being laid. What are we waiting for?