Title: Words of Hope bring hope
Zechariah (40) The words of hope bring hope (Zechariah 13:7-9)
<God who raises you up>
The text prophesies the suffering of the people of Israel after the Passion of Jesus and the conversion of Israel in the last days. When Jesus suffers, His disciples scatter, but God protects the small crowd (verse 7). When Jesus was crucified, the disciples were scattered. During the three-year camp training and spiritual training, the disciples listened to many words and experienced many miracles. Still, looking at the run away, it seems like I wasted my time learning what I had learned over the past three years. However, as in the text, God stretched out his hand over the scattered ones and gave them the Holy Spirit from the upper room on the day of Pentecost and called them back.
In the end, the three years of the disciples were not in vain. God can give the Holy Spirit to anyone with supernatural power, but in the end He gave it to the disciples who had undergone discipleship and spiritual training for three years. And he raised the fallen disciples beautifully. In this way, God's grace comes more to the prayerful and devoted heart. Just because we fall down from time to time does not mean that all the prayers, devotions, and services we have prayed for are gone in vain. God always remembers that prayer and devotion, and He will surely raise that heart someday.
< God who judges thoroughly >
Because the Israelites rejected the Messiah, two-thirds of them were exterminated, and one-third were also subjected to extreme temptation (verses 8-9). God judges children if they go in the wrong direction. If there is no judgment, it will not be right. If you don't use hypocrisy, cover your prejudices with truth, and judge an unthankful person, how can that person be on the right track? That is why God judges His children, sometimes in the most wonderful, wise, and appropriate way.
The most common tool of God's judgment is the Word. Try to listen for bitterness when the Word sometimes rebukes you against your emotions. Praise makes even whales dance, but often times that praise ruins people. Beware of the temptation of excessive praise and keep close to the Word. The Word sometimes burns wrong things like fire, breaks false illusions of peace, denounces evasion of responsibility, and becomes an indicator against indiscretion and bias. In the end, a word-centered life is living by listening to the words that destroy your self-esteem. When you train yourself as a Word-centered soul through the tools of the Word, the possibility of judgment is significantly weakened.
<God who works together for good>
After Jesus' suffering, two-thirds of the people of Israel died and one-third remained, but the rest of the people were scattered all over the world and suffered great suffering before returning to God (verse 9). Ultimately, the good will of God is hidden in the tests given to the saints. Temptation always comes with God's benefit. A person is humbled by temptation, his ability to recognize sin is increased, and his faith is strengthened. In the end, the better you pass the test, the greater the size of your blessings and rewards.
If you overcome the test with faith, the test will turn into a reward someday. Even if you fall sometimes, get up again and hold onto the Lord. It is not proud to not fall, but to stand up again even if we fall. God is the God of restoration. Once a son, forever a son. Children who are in God will surely lead them to the path of blessing when the time is right. Even if the reality is difficult, do not be discouraged and speak hope. Nothing is free. If you resent, resentment will come, and if you praise, praise will come. The words of despair bring despair, and the words of hope bring hope.
Humans have infinite potential. Repeated words of hope are the best tool to invoke that ability. When you speak of hope, your heart becomes brighter, and darkness does not dwell in that bright heart. Do not lose hope even in the face of adversity and move forward with a dream and a vision. Even if there is pain, there is always a way in God. Suffering doesn't ruin your life. The soul that God has refined is used more preciously. Just as the earth hardens after it rains, if you are in God, there is a work of working together for good.