September 11

Even in the midst of our sufferings, even when life looks bleak, even when we see no human way out of our mess, God remains a God of hope. Hope is an attitude that never lets us give up. God gives us plenty of promises we can believe in that keep our focus on Him and on the won-derful future He has prepared for us. “Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you.....When every-thing is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3; Romans 5:3&4; James 1:2-4).
God’s people had been in exile in Babylon for seventy years. But, God wanted them to endure and He gave them promises through His prophets so His people would not quit. Some of these promises had to do with events in their near future: “Take courage......My Spirit remains among you.......So do not be afraid” (Haggai 2:4&5). “Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 1:3). “My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong. But I am very angry with the other nations that enjoy peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations punished them far beyond my intentions....My Temple will be rebuilt, says the Lord Almighty, and plans will be made for the reconstruction of Jerusalem......The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as His own” (Zechariah 1:14-17).
Other promises God gave His people, had to do with future events that were still a long ways off. “Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of the good things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch......and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:8&9).
Despair has a way of crippling us and keeping us from doing anything to change our situation. As God tried to encourage His people to rebuild His Temple, He reminded them that nothing gets done in our strength alone, but rather through the power of His Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:6). He also reminded them that great accomplishments begin with humble beginnings. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin....” (4:10). In other words, whatever situation we find ourselves in, we must begin the process of rebuilding and getting on with our lives by relying on His strength and not ours. For the task will never be completed until we have taken our first steps. We can always trust in God to keep His promises, giving us hope in whatever circumstances we might find ourselves.