They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Zechariah 12

They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. v10

Jesus is the greatest gift of all...and God gave us His Son so that we may live, and that we may be forgiven.  And Jesus rose again so that we may have eternal life...beating sin and death.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Do I see Jesus as a gift...every day and every moment of my life?  Do I yearn for Him, reflective of my gratitude for the gift of Jesus?  Do I love Him with all of my heart, mind and soul.  I don't but I desire to and I desire that Jesus grow in my heart.  I desire to have His desires.  I seek to love as Jesus loves me.

My Prayer: Lord, You are Truth, Love...You are All.  You are worthy of my love and worship.  You certainly don't need me but You love me anyway. I am broken...I sin.  I am lazy and I don't live a life as You intend.  I am lazy...slothful.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Please grow in my heart and in my life.  Transform my heart and my life.  Take me I am Yours.

See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah9

See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey. v9

The Lord Jesus is Lord because of who He is.  It is His actions and His power that make Him worthy of being sovereign over all the heavens and earth.  He does not need the trappings of an earthly king.  He is worthy of our love because of who He is and for what He has done for us.   He is powerful yet humble.  He is ruler yet he comes to serve, love and save.  He is great.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed great.  You rule over everything and everyone and You don't need me, yet You love me....individually.  Despite my sin.  Thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me for my laziness.  Help me have rest and energy.  Help me love You with all of my heart mind and soul.  Transform both my heart and my life Jesus.  Take me I am Yours.  I want to serve You. 

"In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you."

Zechariah 8

"In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you." v23

The Lord restores the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah and indicates that prosperity will return.  Along with this prosperity is a period of righteousness that will draw others to the Lord. 

The question for me is: I am acting in a way that is unique, special, that allows Jesus to shine through me?

Am I acting in such a way like the Israelites did as I posted here? Or as said here:

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Cor 4:10

My Prayer: Lord, what a great God You are.  You heal all things - physical, emotional, etc.  You also forgive and You sacrifice.  You made the ultimate sacrifice for all of Your children - You died on the cross for us...for me specifically.  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I worry and I stress out.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Please grow in my heart and in my life Jesus.  Transform both my heart and my life Jesus.  Also help me live a bold and daring faith.

When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?

Zechariah 7

When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? v5

What are my motives...are they pure and for Him?  Like the Israelites, do I offer acts as a means to help myself or do I offer acts to glorify the Lord. 

James wants us to have both faith and deeds - all for the glory of Jesus Christ.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder....[speaking of Abraham]...You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  James 2:14-19, 22

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great and perfect God with both pure motives and almighty action...capable of anything and creator of everything.  You don't even need me but You both love me and You use me.  What a great God!  I fail to love You with all of my heart, mind, and soul.  Yet You love me anyway.  Thank You Jesus!  Please forgive me.  Please grow in my heart and in my life.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.

I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.

Zechariah 3

I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. v8

As posted yesterday, the Lord always keeps His promises.  Today the promise is that Jesus will come, live among us, and He will cleanse us of our sin:

...and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. v9

What a great gift Jesus is...I am not - and no one is - deserving of such a gift.  Yet we should be thankful of the gift that Jesus is and we should worship, love, trust, and obey Him.

My Prayer: Lord, what an amazing gift You are.  That You keep Your promises, that You came and lived among us, and that You died for us...for me, to cleanse me of my sin.  I am not worthy of such a gift.  Yet You provide it anyway.  Thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me for my weakness, I am not the active man of God you desire me to be.  Please help have faith AND be in action...to serve, to love, and to be Jesus to others...my family and to the lost.

‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

Haggai 2

‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ v5

The Lord keeps His promises.  He is always with us...even when we sin.  See also here.

This reminds of the Parable of the Lost Sheep:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:1-7

My Prayer: Lord, I know You are with me...always.  And no matter what I do, you will always welcome me back.  Now I know I will sin...but You will always be there with open arms if I seek Your forgiveness.  What a great God You are!  I am not worthy of such love.  I am full of anger and selfishness. Thank You that You love me anyway, but please forgive me.  Help me be more like You and help me so that Your desires are my desires. 

“Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.

Haggai 1

“Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. v1

I am often guilty of the Lord references here - focus on my own will and my own plans which will produce nothing.

I am reminded of several verses:

Those who trust in themselves are fools Proverbs 28:26

...

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Key here is that I am worried about my own plans and earthly and wordly matters.  These things don't matter.  What matters is God and pleasing Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God.  You created the heavens and the earth and everything in between.  Your love has no boundaries nor does Your greatness.  You don't need me yet You love me.  And You bless me.  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  Thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me for my worry and help me focus just on You...on pleasing You.

At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home.

Zephaniah 3

 At that time I will deal
    with all who oppressed you.
I will rescue the lame;
    I will gather the exiles.
I will give them praise and honor
    in every land where they have suffered shame.
²⁰ At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will bring you home.

God gives us a glimpse of heaven...when He returns again to bring us home.  I do need to remember that heaven should be my focus.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  Matthew 6:20.

My Prayer: Lord, You are an amazing God and yet You love me.  I am not worthy of such love.  I have critical thoughts of others and I say harsh things.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent....

Zephaniah 1

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish those who are complacent....v12

I have frequently read and reflected on how it is important to live with the end in mind and today I read yet another angle on this...that complacency is just as wicked as sin.  As God is active, we must be active and growing.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God...Hebrews 6:1

In James we are to have faith and be in action:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know You are an active God always doing something...and always doing something for me...amazing!  You don't even need me but You not only use me as Your servant, but You also love me!   I am not worthy of such love.  Thank You Jesus for such love and mercy.  Please forgive me for my critical nature and as I use harsh words for others and I know that this is a sin.  Help me grow to be more like You.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires. 

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

Habakkuk 3

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to tread on the heights. v19

In chapter 1-3, Habakkuk reflects on God's power, wisdom, justice and love.  He know of Judah's wickedness and the Lord tells him that He will use the Babylonians to punish Judah.  Although Habakkuk at first does not understand, the Lord helps him see the wisdom in God's plan.

In the same way, I am surrounded by wickedness - in my own nature/acts, and in the nature and behavior of others.  I sometimes cry out for justice...playing the role of judge.  This is not my role - it is God's alone!  So in the same way that Habakkuk praises God for allowing us to balance our desire for judgement with His power, wisdom, justice and love.  God is the one who allows us to stay on path..."on the heights"...despite the treacherous ground and circumstances around us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE the Way, the Truth, and the Life:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6.

I would not be able to exist or survive in this world without You Jesus.  You protect, provide, and bless me beyond what I deserve.  I am not worthy of such love.  I worry and I don't give all of myself to You.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Transform my heart and my life Jesus.

“I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty.

Nahum 3

“I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty. v5

The Lord is certainly Almighty...He is worthy is our worship because of this.  He knows all about us, and nothing is hidden from Him.  And because we are fallen, we are deserving of death:

The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Proverbs 10:16

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Yet God is full of love, compassion and mercy for us.  He died for us and gave us the GIFT of eternal life.  We did not deserve it yet He gave His life for us...freely..  Yes, God is all powerful so we should worship Him.  Yet we should worship Him because He is also full of love, compassion, and mercy for us.  What a great God we have!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed a great God!  I see Your greatness all around me every day.  That You love me is amazing.  You don't even need me...I am broken and I sin.  I am not worthy of such love.  I thank You that You love me anyway, but please forgive me for my sin...one of which is my worry.  I know I need to place all of my trust and faith in You.  Help me Lord.  Help me be effective and productive with my school work and help me not worry. 

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

Nahum 1

The Lord is good,

a refuge in times of trouble. 

He cares for those who trust in him...v7

The Lord is indeed good...in fact He is great!  He is great in infinite ways and Nahum speaks only to a few of these ways, including:  

The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. v3

Paul's letter to the Galatians I believe is one of the better defintions of God as a great God...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

My Prayer: Lord, there is none like You.  You are the one and only true God.  You are my God...my savior.  You don't need me, yet You love me so much You died for me.  I am not worthy of such love.  I sin.  Thank You for Your love but please forgive me for my selfishness and my laziness.  I desire to be a light...to be a reflection of You to others...to draw others to You.  Help me be more like You.  Help me have Your desires.  Help me lead a bold and daring faith.

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?

Micah 7

Who is a God like you,

who pardons sin and forgives the transgression

of the remnant of his inheritance? v18

There is indeed no God like You.  You, Jesus Christ are the one and only true God.  You not only forgive sin and pardon the sinner, but You also make available no less an inheritance (eternity with Jesus Christ) for the transgressor.  Amazing! 

My Prayer: Lord, there is no doubt You are the one and only true God who is the creator of all and capable of all!  You don't need me but You not only love me, You also redeem my sin and use me for Your glory.  Thank You Jesus for such amazing love.  I am not deserving.  Please forgive me for my critical and harsh nature.  Help me be more encouraging in both my words and my deeds.  Transform my heart to see and love others as You do.

And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God. v8

All believers at one time or another see our walk with God as a burden.  Here in Micah, God sees right through this:

“My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdened you? Answer me.

I brought you up out of Egypt

and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you,

also Aaron and Miriam. v3-4

The Lord's examples of His blessings don't even begin to describe how He has blessed His people.  Yet we complain about the burden of our walk.  Indeed we may be persecuted or even die for our faith - there is no promise of a risk free life for sure.  However, God does it make it simple:

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God. v8

My Prayer: Lord, I know You have blessed me...beyond what I deserve.  I am weak, lazy, selfish, and full of pride.  Yet You love me anyway.  Thank You Jesus.  But please forgive me.  Help me be more like You.  Help me see both the simplicity and joy of "walking humbly with You".

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.

Micah 4

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. v1

Through Micah, the Lord warns of the last days when all will be gone yet those who believe in Him will be saved forevermore.  This is stated again later:

All the nations may walk in the name of their gods,

but we will walk in the name of the Lord

our God for ever and ever. v5.

As I have posted previously here, I need to live with the end in mind.  While those around focus on their gods, there is the One and Only True God - Jesus Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are amazing and You have blessed me beyond imagination.  I play and enjoy tennis.  I have health, You provide for me, You surround me with family and friends.  You are great and I am undeserving of such blessings!  I am lazy and selfish.  Thank You Jesus for Your love but please forgive me!  Help me be more like You Jesus.  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me live a bold and daring faith with the end in mind.

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow."

Jonah 4

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow." v10

Jonah is of course saved by the Lord and then goes on to warn Ninevah about God's anger towards them and about what will happen to them if they don't repent and turn to the Lord.  They do repent and God shows mercy on them and does not destroy the city.  Jonah then is angry with the Lord...his anger stems from his own belief that God's judgement lacks wisdom, and that his own judgement is more suitable. 

When we become more absorbed with our own thoughts vs those of God we of course can't see the greatness and wisdom of God.  This plays out with Jonah as his anger stews over the withering of the plant (that God provided!) that provided him shade:

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” v5-9

I cannot claim of course that I don't do this.  The key here is to set your eyes upon Jesus...as the "race" is long and we will never perserver unless we keep our eye on the finish line:

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  Hebrews 12: 2

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, everything You have done and everything You do is perfect and great.  I have seen Your greatness in my life and in the life of those close to me.  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I am weak and selfish.  I know You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me so that Your desires are my desires.  Help me so that I can fix my eyes on You always and never lose sight of You and how Your greatness is present in all things and all the time.