If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 1

If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. v6

Malachi is the last of Minor Prophets and his message from God is a word of warning for those who have ambivalent towards God, unbelieving that God will be what He says He is and do what He says He will do.

God wants all of our heart and 100% of our lives and devotion - He does not want us to hold back.

In response to questioning from the Jewish leaders regarding what the most important commandment is, Jesus responds love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind.

There is danger to holding back - including being held accountable for our actions on Judgement Day.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who gave everything for me - that I could have life and have it with abundance - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I get angry too quickly.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Please help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

Zechariah 14

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. v9

Zechariah speaks of a day of the Lord that is coming.  Of course this is a prophecy of Jesus, and we must also remember that Jesus will come once again (Luke 17:22) after He dies on the cross, rises from the grave, and then rises into Heaven.  We must be ready and recognize when Jesus arrives in our lives - for He is here for us now - in this life.  Yet many ignore the invitation to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

We must be ready.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You died on the cross and rose again for me - thank You Jesus for doing this and for giving me freedom from the sting of sin and death - the greatest gift of all time!  I am not worth such love.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love Him.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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

Zechariah 9

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

Once again, we have a prophecy of Jesus, and this prophecy of Jesus as King of Kings portrays Him as humble, as one who comes to serve, rather than be served. We are commanded to be transformed into God's image, and humility and service are at the core of who Jesus is (for us) so it is what we should be for others.  

We are to love God and love others as God loves us (John 13:34).  Our desires must come after those of Jesus and others - we are to deny oneself.


Jesus - please help me love You first, then love others as I deny myself.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who serves me each and every day - thank You Jesus.  You love me well beyond what I deserve.  I am not worthy of such love.  I am harsh with my words.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as I love You.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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

As both Israel and Judah rebuild Jerusalem, the temple, and their lives after exile, The Lord offers encouragement through promises of blessing.  The Lord also admonishes the Jews to love one another:

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord. v16-17

Unfortunately, with all that is going on in the world today, it is difficult to find others who are obedient to God in these ways.  Yet we know as believers that as v23 states if we are a light, others will be drawn to us and God will restore those drawn to Him and make them more like Him so that more can love one another.  The challenges we face in this world are only those that God can solve by giving us new hearts.

Be a light.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are light and truth and I am drawn to You and through You, I have a new heart and rebirth...and life to the full.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love as daily miss the mark. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree, declares the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 3

In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree, declares the Lord Almighty. v10

This chapter is a beautiful picture and prophecy of Jesus Christ.  First, sins are taken away (v4).  Then in v8-10 Jesus as described as the branch, the stone, and Savior.  

John 15 also portrays Jesus as The Vine and His believers as the branches. 

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:9-17

As the Jews emerge and rebuild the temple following exile, they are restored physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  This restoration is made complete and permanent by Jesus Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that You sent Your Son - thank You.  The greatest gift of all time.  I am not worthy of such a gift of mercy and grace.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord, and I will be its glory within.

Zechariah 2

And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord, and I will be its glory within. v5

Zechariah is another prophet, like Haggai, who appears on the scene with the Jews after their return to Jerusalem from exile.  He offers words of encouragement to Israel and Judah that they will be restored - that they should have hope.  God will both surround and be with them (see also v10-11).

Believers in Jesus Christ have this same hope - for He is with us, and He will never depart from us.

See also
Matthew 1:22-23
John 14:26
Hebrews 13:5
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing, incredible God who never leaves or forsakes me.  Thank You Jesus that You are always with me.  I am not worth such a God.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.

Haggai 1

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.  “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. v7-9

Haggai is a prophet who admonishes the Jews for their lack of focus on God after they gained their freedom from 70 years of Babylonian captivity. We should not forget what God has done in our lives - we should daily express our gratitude for Him and worship Him for who He is and His role to give us life and freedom from the sting of sin and death.  Don't ignore God and seek Him only when times are tough.  Go to Him daily, especially when times are good.

See also post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who died for me. Thank You Jesus for the greatest gift of all time.  I am not worthy of such a gift.  I daily miss the mark. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.