Good morning all! Father, thank You for the new year and the promise of new beginnings. We know that You alone can make all things new, we trust that all will prosper by the riches of Your kingdom, Amen. Don’t we all wish for a prosperous new year? What does God say about the subject? Is it time to prosper?
Zechariah 8
6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
This is what the Lord of ALL has to say, it might be hard for you to see something so marvelous but God has NO problem seeing the great things He’s panned to do.
9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which [were] in the day [that] the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
This also is what the Lord of ALL has to say, don’t give up be strong, I have laid a foundation so I expect a temple is going to get built on it otherwise why bother laying it down.
12 For the seed [shall be] prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these [things].
His seed will prosper, the vine with produce fruit, the ground is going to increase and the heavens will drop down their dew, you will possess ALL these things.
21 And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
And people from one place and another will say, let’s hurry up and pray to God and find Him first…I’m going too.
Bottom line
This is the vision of Zechariah, he’s delivering this message at the end of the year to Israel. It’s really a New years message…time for prosperity. Who doesn’t want that? I love how it opens up too, the people of Israel were struggling to see the good news. Can you blame them? They were captive and experienced tough times for so long, they forgot what good looked like. Ever been there? David spoke similar words to God and he was chastised for it.
[Psa 78:19 KJV] 19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? We speak against God, you know how? We don’t believe it, as though we can limit God…NOT. When it’s time for God to produce a change, He will do it. And when we have trouble seeing it…not to worry, He will see it for us. Now we have our part in this thing, that’s why God encourages us to have strong hands. He laid the foundation now it’s time to build the temple…we interrupt this message to remind everyone that WE are the temple, okay back to the message…what’s our foundation? Faith! So how do we build a temple? One brick at a time. Of course, God’s knows we just got out of captivity which means we haven’t been working so we don’t have much money. Hence the time to prosper, He knows we need resources to build the temple. The first thing He says is the vine will produce fruit…cool we got fruit to go sell, what kind?
[Psa 35:28 KJV] 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness [and] of thy praise all the day long. Righteousness is the fruit of your mouth ALL day long, so when should I say someone isn’t righteous? Well, remember we are building a temple so how about NEVER..ALL day is ALL day…we GIVE fruit NOT take it away. And what about the ground that should increase?
[Heb 12:14 KJV] 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Your ground should see an increase of peace in your life with ALL men, otherwise they will NOT see the evidence of God. Makes sense, if you don’t forgive them will they SEE the power of God? to err is human to forgive divine…true peace. And the last brick needed in this temple wall is dew from heaven.
[Luk 15:7 NLT] 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Again, the church should increase NOT shrink which produces MORE joy not less. The only way the church is going to be built…increase…we have to declare others righteous all day long, make peace with all men and have more joy when others change the way they view God. And if you see an empty table, go ahead and furnish it…maybe they will see God after all.
Point to Ponder
Why does God want us to pray speedily? [Rev 22:12 KJV] 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. The faster we pray, the quicker God will come…and He’s got your reward.
Let’s all prosper in 2020, In Him Phil
Faith – Family -Friends
