King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Sunday,
September 27, 2015
Chapters: Zechariah 1-7
https://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-270.html
Message
Title: An
End To The Affliction

Hello My Friend,

The
Book of Zechariah is the thirty-eighth book of the Old
Testament/Bible and contains fourteen chapters. The author of the
book is Zechariah and it was written to the new generation of Jews
who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The timeline for these events
took place around 520BC. The purpose of the book was to renew a
spiritual commitment with God, and to warn them of the coming second
judgment when Christ returns. What we are to learn from the book is
that God is in control of the affairs of all, His infinite love and
care are in all who receive Christ, known as the BRANCH. “And
many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my
people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know
that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.” - Zechariah
2:11.

No one likes to face judgment, and no matter who we
are, we all suffer from something as the result of someone else who
did not want to obey some law. Judgment, while unpleasant does have a
purpose and does not last forever. Zechariah was a prophet while in
Babylon, as their seventy year sentence to remain captives was over
the time had come for the Jews to head back to Jerusalem. Through
Zechariah, God addresses the new generation of Jews, stressing the
importance of not walking in the ways of their fathers. “Therefore
say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me,
saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of
hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have
cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your
evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor
hearken unto me, saith the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? and
the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes,
which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of
your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts
thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our
doings, so hath he dealt with us.” - Zechariah 1:3-6.

Your
fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? Since people do not last forever, we as faithful Christians have the
task of being the godly example that God needs for future
generations. Does God need us to? No. Does God want us to? Yes.
Everything fades and will come to an end, but God's Word never will,
it is settled in heaven, and never changes. People can try to rewrite
His Word, they can ignore as much as they want, but it remains the
same and it is in our best interest to learn of and do what it says.
“Of these things put them in remembrance,
charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no
profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:14,15.

God
may use the world to judge His people, He does this for two reasons,
to get us to straighten up and to get those in the world to turn to
Him. Once the judgment comes to an end, we will be set free, but He
next comes the judgment of the world. When we are set free from our
sins through Christ, we are set free from the guilt, shame, and even
the bondage that held us down. Why would we remain in bondage to sin
when we are set free? God tells the Jews to leave Babylon and head
back to Jerusalem, but He also gives a glimpse of hope for all. “Ho,
ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD:
for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith
the LORD. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of
Babylon. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he
sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you
toucheth the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand
upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall
know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O
daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of
thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in
that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of
thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto
thee.” - Zechariah 2:6-11.

For
he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. No know
touches us without the knowledge of God, not even the devil himself.
When He allows things to happen He will always bring us through them
and His blessings will abound. Through Zechariah and a godly priest
named Joshua, God shows us what He does to those who trust Him in the
midst of their worse afflictions.

“And
he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the
LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the
LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD
that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked
out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and
stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that
stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And
unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from
thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. Thus saith the
LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my
charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my
courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand
by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that
sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will
bring forth my servant the BRANCH.” - Zechariah
3:1-4,7,8.

I have caused thine
iniquity to pass from thee, iniquity means injustice, God will
bring all injustice to an end. Before we know the BRANCH, Jesus
Christ, as our Saviour, we are filthy rags, but when we receive Him
our garments are changed, we are clean and set free from our sins.
The devil will afflict us, but God will protect us, even in the midst
of our worst storms. We can never understand the affliction we face,
especially when it's something unexpected, but we can understand that
God will carry us through. “And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” -
Romans 8:28-30.

He also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. God did
not predestine us to face the trials we face, He did predestine us to
be made in the image of His Son. That means, He uses all things,
good, bad, and ugly to conform us to the likeness of His Son, and He
will use any situation to bring good out of it. We can endure all
things, we are justified, set free, more than conquerors through
Christ. “That the trial of your faith, being
much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ:” - 1 Peter 1:7.

That
the trial of your faith, often we come to the end of our resources
and lose confidence in our own abilities before we learn to trust
God. No matter how uncertain things look, God is always there.
Through Zechariah, God assures the Jews that as long as they get
close to the BRANCH, He will be there for them. He instructs crowns
to be made for Joshua.“Then take silver and
gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son
of Josedech, the high priest; And speak unto him, saying, Thus
speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The
BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the
temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and
he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and
he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall
be between them both. And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to
Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a
memorial in the temple of the LORD. And they that are far off shall
come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the
LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if
ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.” -
Zechariah 6:11-15.

And he shall
build the temple of the LORD, this will be no ordinary temple,
this is the temple in which Christ will reign and all of His people
will come to worship Him in. This temple is not made up of walls, it
is made up of believers, it is the real Church of Christ. Every
person who receives Christ is not exempt from affliction no matter
how close we are to Him, but with every single trial comes a crown,
in fact, we will receive many crowns. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that
love him.” -
James1:12.

Today's Prayer:
God, Thank You for making me a part of Your family, not by works or
even obedience to Your commands am I saved from judgment, but solely
by my faith and trust in the finished work that Your Son am I saved.
Lord, You know the intentions of our hearts, as You allow
circumstances and affliction to examine our hearts, lead us and guide
us and keep us in Your Word so we cannot be only hears of Your Word,
but doers also. Remind us that we are not doing this for our
salvation, but simply to honor You and thank You for all that You
have done for us because we first turned to You. In Jesus' name.
Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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