Zechariah 7:1-14 ; 8:1-13; Ezra 6:14-22
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… penned by Shakespeare, this speaks of the desire to please the one you love. Not just in word but in deed. Christians have this same desire. We love God and want to please Him not just in words but in deeds. Seems like it would be really simple to do. After all, He left His word and His Spirit as a guide. But as we can see from the ancient Israelites, pleasing God involves right motives and methods.
After years of exile to foreign nations because of judgment, Israel has been allowed to rebuild. Physically under the guidance of Haggai,and spiritually guided by many prophets including Zechariah and Ezra. So the natural question during this time is how do they please the Lord?
Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” (Zechariah 7:3)
Fasting, giving up something of value, was designed to bring the nation closer to the Lord. Through sacrificing earthly pleasures and replacing them with prayer, bible reading,and other forms of worship, clarity and broken strongholds could be found. Rather than fasting being the means to the end, Jesus Himself, over the years it became the end itself. Righteousness based on works. This motive is what the Lord addressed – …when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourself? (Zechariah 7:4-7).
Believers today must content with the same desire. How do we please the Lord? Going, serving, and giving in the local church? Daily quiet time with Him? None of these disciplines are bad in themselves. However, we too can fall prey to the same problem. Rather than lead us into a closer walk with the Lord, our good works can lead to self-righteousness. Our goodness is based on us rather than Him.
The answer to how to please the Lord is clear- administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your heart do not think evil of each other.
God is calling each of us to respond . How others are treated directly correlates to how we think of and value Him.
Grace and peace,
Karen
