TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?’ So, the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. Then the angel who was speaking to me said, ‘Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 1:12-16)
“How long, Oh Lord?” Many have as expressed this as they awaited an answer from God, endured physical or emotional pain, or dealt with a painful decision. The prophet Zechariah also had this question, “Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy?”
The nation of Judah had suffered long under oppression from surrounding nations. God certainly allowed this because of their sin, but the problem was that these nations were as bad and even worse than Judah. God assures Zechariah that He is always at work, and that He will eventually restore the Jews, rebuild the Temple, and restore righteousness over the earth.
Are you at the end of your rope? Does it seem like your prayers are going nowhere and no progress is being made in your situation? Remain faithful and hopeful and hear the “kind and comforting words” of the Lord as He assures you, “All is well.”