Zechariah 2 - Good News! Release! Relief!

Good news! That's what chapter 2 of Zechariah is - Good News!

As I read this chapter, I was reminded of the vision of St. Teresa of Avila and her "Interior Mansion." What an awesome place this city of God is! In Zecharia, it is pictured as a city without walls. It doesn't need a wall because God, Himself, will be a wall of fire around it and He will be its glory within. (Zech 2:4,5)

And more... for all those who are oppressed - there will be relief - there will be release!

"For this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—  I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.

Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,' declares the Lord. ^'Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.'" (Zech 2:8-11 NIV)

God, indeed, has sent His only Son, born in a barn, died on a cross, raised from the grave, and ascended to the right hand of our Father, so that we might be free to live in His Awesome presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 80 - Restore Us - Grant Us Peace

"Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved." (Psalm 80:1, 19 NIV)

It is New Year's Day.  This is a good prayer for the new year.  Make your face shine on us.  Restore us. Save us from our own iniquity.  The walls, indeed, have been broken down and sin seems to run rampant.  We don't even know what sin is any more.  The walls between good and evil have been torn down.  What is evil is seen as OK or even good and what is good (worship of the one true God) is seen as adiaphora, even a nuisance.

I worshipped with a United Methodist congregation this past Sunday.  The preacher spoke about living in God's peace this coming new year.  He spoke about the peace of God being the answer to the ills of this world.  I'm also re-reading St. Teresa's "Interior Castle." She speaks of inner peace, as well. 

A whole lot of the world's ills do seem to come from people not having this inner peace. We are an anxious people. People anxious to have everything our way. People who do not know peace because they have allowed the walls between good and evil to be so demolished that they know longer know what is good or evil.  And... when evil (envy, greed, anger, lust, etc...) seeps into your life then their is an internal battle.  There can be no peace within, when we've allowed evil to exist within ourselves.  There can be no peace when sin is no longer sin and we all strive to have the most, the best, to have it all, our way.

And... when you have a whole community of people (whether it is your neighborhood or Congress) who do not know peace as individuals, you have a whole community of people who live in strife with their neighbor.

"Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved." (80:1, 19)

May you know the peace of God throughout this new year.  Pr. J.