By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
THURSDAY
THEME: CURSES OVER, ABUNDANT BLESSINGS FOLLOW
SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 8:13
“And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’”
REFLECTIONS
Naturally, our ears itch to hear good tidings. In this world of gloom and bleakness, we yearn to listen to words of hope and encouragement. Our all-wise God always comes our way with some good news to share. Despite our sins, our marvelous God finds ways of blessing us. His grace cannot be fathomed. The psalmist was right when he proclaimed in Psalms 130:3-4, “[3]If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? [4]But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.” The study of sin and salvation (Hamartiology and Soteriology) gives hope to the sinner because God is determined to forgive, transform, and restore.
Do not give up in any struggle, for a glorious day of restoration is coming, as God promised Judah and Israel. The beauty of our relationship with God is that He never lets us go – even when we have sinned terribly, He finds ways to save us. Zechariah 8:9,11-13 reports, [9]“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built. [11]But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. [12]‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these. [13]And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’” The remnant received these promised blessings when they returned to God and worked on the broken temple.
To be a winner on God’s side, “do not fear, let your hands be strong.” How do you do this? Seek God through the written and spoken word, and keep your call lines busy in conversation with heaven. God may punish, but He will save and restore. God may curse your evil deeds but redeem your personhood through grace. You may have fallen, but God will raise you again if willing. Undeservedly, God will cleanse your mess and let your conscience work right. The good news for any person is that God desires to forgive your former ways of evil and give you a new day of righteousness and hope. God is working behind the scenes to grant you a new opportunity to start all afresh. You must take advantage of His divine faithfulness and be on the winning track.
We must be convinced that God will never abandon His ties with humanity because of our inconsistencies, unfaithfulness, disobedience, and iniquities. As much as possible, He will preserve a remnant for Himself, and you can be one of these God-favored people. Meditate over His invitation in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” God expects the following from you, making you a winner: Speak the truth to your neighbor, ensure justice is done, do not imagine evil in your heart, and avoid speaking falsehood (Zechariah 8: 16-17). Today, the Lord encourages you to let go of the past and look into the future with hope in Him. He has determined to save you, remove the curse of your evil deeds, and make you a blessing – what a privilege! When God speaks, you cannot doubt or dispute His intention; therefore, “Do not fear, let your hands be strong.”
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 195 – “Showers of Blessing”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His saving grace; thank God for His promises and what He is doing for you; pray to remain faithful and committed to Him;
– Pray for those in the valley of indecision regarding salvation; pray for the people on your prayer list; pray for your family to take advantage of God’s invitation;
– Pray for autistic children and their families, patients with chronic diseases, the elderly and lonely, and children in orphanages; pray for starving families and individuals;
– Pray for the nation to seek righteousness; pray for your church members to eschew evil, return to God, escape the curse, and receive blessings; intercede for your loved ones.
