Glory to God! Hallelujah! The Lord God has been good to us so far in our life and, without any doubt, we can say that He will remain good to us for the rest of our life. The Lord God whom we praise and worship and serve is an Omniscient (all-knowing) and Omnipotent (all-powerful) and Omnipresent (present everywhere) and loving and righteous and just and good God. Our God is an Omniscient God because He knows about everything in the universes and there is no piece of information or intelligence that God does not know because He is the source of all knowledge and wisdom that exists in the world (refer 1 John 3:20; Hebrews 4:13; Job 37:16; Psalm 139:1-6; 147:5). Our God is an Omnipotent God because He is the great and mighty God and there is no power that exists in the universe that can overpower God’s might or power, rather God’s power overpowers all the powers in the world (Psalm 48:1; 96:4; 147:5; Isaiah 44:6-8; Jeremiah 32:17). Our God is an Omnipresent God because God is present everywhere in all of the universe and there is not a single spot or area where God’s presence is not felt or where He is absent (Psalm 139:7-12; 1 Timothy 1:17). Our God is an all-loving God because God is love and He is the source of love (1 John 4:7-9). He loves everyone including the righteous as well as the sinners (Jeremiah 31:3; Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11; Matthew 5:45; Luke 6:35; John 3:16-17; Acts 14:17; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:16, 19; 2 Peter 3:9). Since our God is an Omniscient and Omnipotent and Omnipresent and All-loving God, He is Almighty and He is Sovereign in everything He says and does; and, thus, all the glory and honor and power and praise belongs to Him. God’s love for us is true and His judgements are right and perfect because He is holy and righteous. As our God is righteous and holy, He asks us to be righteous and do the right things, as prophet Zechariah noted: This is what the Lord Almighty said: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another (Zechariah 7:9). As He is the ultimate source of all goodness and love, we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22) but enjoy His goodness and love and compassion as days and weeks and months and years pass by.

The Lord has blessed us with a very promising Scripture passage for our Sftw meditation this week that is taken from the prophetical book of Zechariah. Through this passage, the Lord God Almighty invites everyone who is not on the right track with God to repent and return to Him. God, being compassionate and gracious, continues to speak with His people through His servants and invites them to return to Him. The passage we chose for this week’s meditation is one such occasion where God is speaking to His people Israel through prophet Zechariah because they were not fully focused on following His righteous laws and decrees and commands that He had given them to follow as the standard He set for His chosen people. All these issues began to take place when God chose a people for Himself who were not His people until then (Hosea 1:10; 2:23; Romans 9:25-26; 1 Peter 2:10).

According to Genesis 12:1-3, God called Abraham and chose his descendants (the children of Israel) to be His people (Genesis 17:7; Psalm 135:4; Isaiah 41:8-9). While Jacob [also, named as Israel] son of Isaac (Genesis 25:25-26), the son of Abraham (Genesis 18:10; 21:1-7), the son of Terah (Genesis 11:27, 31) and his household were living in Beersheba; they went down to Egypt upon the invitation of Joseph (Jacob’s eleventh son who was one of the rulers in Egypt [Genesis 41:14, 39-44]) and Pharaoh the king of Egypt because of the severe famine that hit the world (Genesis 41:57), particularly the countries like Egypt and Canaan, including the region of Beersheba (Genesis 41:1-45:28). The Lord God allowed Jacob and his household to go down to Egypt to survive the severe famine that hit the world (Genesis  41:57-42:1-3; 46:1-4). While they were in Egypt, God did not abandon them to perish there but promised that He would bring them back to the land He promised to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 15:13-16; Exodus 6:6-8). Although all those who went down to Egypt died there, God brought their descendants back to the land He promised to their ancestors (Genesis 15:13-16; Exodus 3:10, 16-17; Deuteronomy 26:7-9). The Lord God blessed them with land and living resources more than they could measure or imagine (Deuteronomy 6:10-13; Joshua 24:13). The Lord set His affection on them and made them a nation that is greater than any other nations and blessed them immensely (Deuteronomy 4:5-14; 10:15). When God brought the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob back to the land He promised to them and blessed them immensely, the Lord specifically told them through His servant Moses not to forget His righteous laws and decrees and commands, rather to live a life accordingly (Deuteronomy 8:7-18).  As Moses recollected and noted the words of the Lord: If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites (Exodus 19:5-6; also refer to Deuteronomy 7:6). The Lord also warned them that if they disobeyed His commands and followed other gods He will remove them from His presence and scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known (Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:26-28; 28:64; Nehemiah 1:8; Jeremiah 9:16; Ezekiel 12:15; 20:23; 22:15). However, they neither took God’s warning seriously nor were they grateful for all the blessings He showered upon them. Rather, they turned their back on the God of their ancestors and followed and served the god/s and goddess/es of the nations around them (Deuteronomy 6:13-19; Psalm 78:32-33). In view of the fact that they disobeyed His righteous laws and decrees and commands and rebelled against Him, God punished them and uprooted them from before Him and scattered them throughout nations that neither they nor their fathers have known (2 Kings 17:6, 18, 20, 23; 18:9-12; 2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Zechariah 7:14). However, God in His mercy, promised His people that He would bring them back again to the land He gave them as inheritance after about a period of Seventy years (2 Chronicles 36:21-23; Isaiah 44:28-45:1-5, 13; Jeremiah 29:10-14; Daniel 9:2). God spoke through prophet Amos, saying:

I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God (Amos 9:14-15)

In addition, God also spoke through several of His servants. For instance, God spoke through prophet Isaiah saying:

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’ I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:8-10)

God again spoke through prophet Isaiah saying:

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made (Isaiah 43:3-7)

God spoke through prophet Hosea, saying:

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety (Hosea 2:18)

God spoke through prophet Micah that:

Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken (Micah 4:4); and

God spoke through prophet Zechariah saying:

In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 3:10; also refer to Isaiah 61:4; 65:21-22; Jeremiah 30:18; 31:5; Ezekiel 28:25-26; 36:33-36; Hosea 14:5-7; Zechariah 8:12)

According to God’s promise to His people Israel, God began fulfilling His promise to them as He allowed the Babylonian empire to fall prey to the rising super power coalition of the Medo-Persian empire (Daniel 5:30; also refer to Isaiah 21:1-10; 47:1-11; Jeremiah 51:1-64). During the reign of Cyrus the king of Persia and Media, God stirred his heart in favor of the Israelites and he issued a decree for them to return to Jerusalem and Judah and to rebuild the Temple and the City (Ezra 1:1-11; 3:7; Isaiah 44:28-45:1-5, 13; also refer to Nehemiah 2:17-18).

Despite God bringing them back again to their own inheritance [the land flowing with milk and honey (Genesis 15:18-21; Deuteronomy 26:8-9] from Babylon and other places (Isaiah 11:11-12), His people did not follow Him wholeheartedly; rather just like some of their forefathers, they rebelled against the God of their fathers and joined the nations around them in practicing the evil and abominable practices that the Lord God prohibited them from doing and so provoked the God of Israel (Zechariah 1:2, 4; also refer to Deuteronomy 9:7-8; Psalm 78:32-33; Acts 7:39). God called out His people’s unfaithfulness towards Him through prophet Malachi that Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:7). Yet, God, being gracious and compassionate and loving, did not want to destroy the chosen people in His anger, rather, He lovingly and intentionally spoke to them through His prophets, especially through Zechariah and told him to tell them to return to Him, as it is specifically stated: Tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 1:3). We can see in this one-verse-passage, the phrase ‘the Lord Almighty’ is repeatedly mentioned three times, which indicates (i) God’s sovereignty in everything He says and does; (ii) His earnest desire to save and bless His people; (iii) His demands for loyalty and obedience from His people; (iv) His authority and power over the earthly forces that stands against Him; and so on. God’s relationship with His people is more than a Creator and creation relationship, or a simple relationship between two people or parties; but it is a covenant relationship which cannot be broken or violated or ignored or renounced; and it is everlasting. God’s earnest desire for His people is that they should repent and return to Him, so that He can return to them and be their Savior and God. God is ready to forgive their rebelliousness and sins against Him, as it is mentioned:

Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken (Isaiah 1:18-20).

God continued, saying:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14; also refer to 1 John 1:9)

God is calling His people and asking them to repent and return to Him (Proverbs 28:13; Hosea 14:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Acts 3:19). God is asking them to *turn from their wicked ways (Isaiah 1:16; 55:7); *turn from their evil paths (2 Kings 17:13; Isaiah 55:7); *turn from their sinful deeds (Proverbs 4:14-15; Isaiah 55:7; Ezekiel 33:11; 1 Corinthians 15:34; Colossians 3:5); *turn from all kinds of uncleanliness (Psalm 51:7; James 4:8); *turn from all kinds of wickedness (Isaiah 55:7); *turn from all kinds of self-glorification (Proverbs 27:2; 28:26; Isaiah 5:21; 65:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Luke 18:9-14; Revelation 3:17); *turn from following the majority who do wrong things (Exodus 23:1-2; Matthew 7:13-14; Proverbs 4:14-15); *turn from all kinds of dishonest gain (Luke 12:15; Proverbs 10:2; 13:11; 28:8, 20); *turn from placing their trust on earthly things (Isaiah 31:1; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 6:19-21; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Colossians 3:2; 1 John 2:15-17); *turn from all kinds of ungodliness and things that God rejects (Exodus 23:7; Leviticus 19:15; Proverbs 6:16-19; Isaiah 33:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:22); *turn from all kinds of unholy practices (Romans 8:5; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Timothy 1:9; Revelation 22:15); *turn from following the gods of the nations around them (Exodus 20:3-5; 22:20; 34:14; Deuteronomy 5:7; 6:14; Jeremiah 25:6); *turn from any forms of idolatry (Exodus 20:3-5; Psalm 115:4-8; 135:15-18; Isaiah 44:9; Ezekiel 14:6; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 John 5:21); *turn from burning incense to other god/s and goddesses (Jeremiah 7:18; 19:4-5; 44:3); *turn from practicing divination (Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 17:17; 21:6); *turn from sacrificing to demons (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:16-17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37; Revelation 9:20), and all other practices which go against God’s command.

God is counseling His people through His servants to stop gratifying their fleshly desires and is inviting them to return to Him with a repentant heart and He will forgive all their rebelliousness and sins/misdeeds. Apostle Paul wrote:

Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1)

Apostle Paul stated that if you and I, as God’s chosen people, stop following the worldly passions and pleasures and start living our life according to the plan and purpose of God under the direct guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit, nothing can separate us from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus, as it is stated:

33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:33-39)

God will forgive and welcome those who stop following their wicked ways, and will accept them as His sons and daughters and He will be their God and they will be led and guided by His Holy Spirit, as Apostle Paul stated:

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:14-17)

Dear sisters and brothers in the Lord, as we conclude our meditation this week, let us pay attention to the invitation of God and draw closer to the throne of Grace where God is seated (Psalm 11:4; Isaiah 6:1; Ezekiel 1:26; Daniel 7:9; Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16; 10:19-22; revelation 7:15). If we are all living a righteous and godly life, that is perfectly great! Let us continue to live our life that way, which is God’s will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). However, if any one of us is doubtful about our own so-called Christian life – whether we live a righteous life or not, or if we need to change or remove certain unreasonable or ungodly practices from our lifestyle that we feel is a stumbling block for fruitful Christian life – now is the right time to take action and return to God. He is inviting us. Let us be like Him in everything we say and do. God said, … Be holy, because I am holy (1 Peter 1:15-16; also refer to Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; Hebrew 12:14); and Jesus said, Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48; also refer to Deuteronomy 18:13; Ephesians 5:1). If we claim to be His children, we ought to live our life exactly the way He commanded us to live – nothing more and nothing less (refer to Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19). May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!