Week 15
Zechariah 10:6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back, because I will have compassion on them; and they will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them.”
One must marvel at God’s tenacity to stick with His people. This text is filled with the certainty of divine love and compassion in restoring His sinning people. God does not throw away His sinning people, He brings them back to Himself. He does not discard the people He loves and whom He chose out of His limitless mercy; instead, He forgives them, cleanses them, and He re-establishes His covenant to them. His love for His people cannot diminish or die.
This is a truly unexpected love! The Bible reveals God’s nature in a pure and perfect characterization. There is no speck of wrong or sin in God; He is righteous altogether. Thus, one would have expected God’s justice to explode upon His erring children, as if to destroy them. And if He had done so, there would have been no injustice in it. They had sinned against their God, the living and true God, and their sin deserved infinite and eternal punishment from God.
But instead, God reiterates His covenant promises to them: “I will strengthen…I will save…I will bring back…I will have compassion…they will be as though I had not rejected them…I am their God, and I will answer them.” This text is a treasure trove of divine blessing and sweetness. It is a valuable reminder of God’s absolute and firm commitment to love and save His people. God’s mercy and grace outshine His judgment!
Christians must never lose sight of the resolve God maintains in salvation to bring His people home. His sheep must have a shepherd, and we do. We think of the words of the angel spoken to Joseph, “You must call His name, Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)”. The church must never lose the life-transforming hope that forms the nucleus of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The incarnation is a soul-saving mission! It is a people-restoring plan! And all through life Christians must remember that God has placed His merciful and undeserving love on them for time and for eternity. And nothing can separate Him or His love from His people (Romans 8:38-39). O, what a glorious God He is! What a marvelous Savior we have! May the Lord take His eternal compassion and saving love and bind our hearts to Him with the cords of resolve and determination to love Him, worship Him, and obey Him.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I am totally amazed at Your love for me, as Your child! My sin makes me sick of soul, but Your saving grace delivers me from Your wrath, from Your judgment, from hell, and from myself. I love You, Jesus; my heart will rise in praise and worship to give You the glory for my salvation. Thank You for saving me, cleansing me, and keeping me for all eternity. Amen.