"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones." - Zechariah 13:7
Do you find that most of the time human intention is much stronger than human action? I do. The homeless need shelter and my heart bleeds for them. I want nothing more than to give them a place to stay where it is warm, with a pillow and perhaps a nice warm shower. The hungry need food. I want to take them all to the local grill and get them the biggest burger in the joint, followed up with a gift certificate for a year of free lunch. There are an unbelievable number of children in need of foster care or adoption. Just to be able to give them a home of love, a hug and a chance to grow up seems so simple. Intentions can only go so far before the human brain has to create the plan of implementation and put into place the work required to complete the mission. That's where most of us hit a wall.
Zechariah wrote this prophecy in the time around 500 BC. Here's the cool thing - God's words are endless and to demonstrate that He has a plan over an extended period of time He describes the exact event that will unfold. The partial fulfillment of this prophecy was in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night that Jesus was betrayed. The disciples that had walked with Jesus for the duration of His ministry were reacting with complete emotion as the guards entered the garden that evening. Their intention was to stay with Christ and defend Him, but their brain caused fear to overrule their good intentions and they scattered. The other scattering that has taken place is the scattering of God's "sheep" - the Jewish population. To be gathered back together with the return of the Messiah in the final days. There is historical evidence of the completion of God's plan in fulfilling this prophecy.
If we can look back and see this event played out precisely over the course of thousands of years, what would make us think that He doesn't have a plan for our life and for the next thousand years? The fact is that we do have visibility to that plan and it comes from the same source. The prophets represented in the last few weeks have also prophesied about our future. Examples from Ezekial, Isaiah, Daniel and John all paint a picture of what is to come. Unlike you and I, God's intentions are perfect and will be put into action at the perfect time, without delay. Be prepared and ready.
Zechariah wrote this prophecy in the time around 500 BC. Here's the cool thing - God's words are endless and to demonstrate that He has a plan over an extended period of time He describes the exact event that will unfold. The partial fulfillment of this prophecy was in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night that Jesus was betrayed. The disciples that had walked with Jesus for the duration of His ministry were reacting with complete emotion as the guards entered the garden that evening. Their intention was to stay with Christ and defend Him, but their brain caused fear to overrule their good intentions and they scattered. The other scattering that has taken place is the scattering of God's "sheep" - the Jewish population. To be gathered back together with the return of the Messiah in the final days. There is historical evidence of the completion of God's plan in fulfilling this prophecy.
If we can look back and see this event played out precisely over the course of thousands of years, what would make us think that He doesn't have a plan for our life and for the next thousand years? The fact is that we do have visibility to that plan and it comes from the same source. The prophets represented in the last few weeks have also prophesied about our future. Examples from Ezekial, Isaiah, Daniel and John all paint a picture of what is to come. Unlike you and I, God's intentions are perfect and will be put into action at the perfect time, without delay. Be prepared and ready.
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