Leading with hope while mercy unfolds
ChatGPTThen the angel of the LORD responded, "How long, LORD of Armies, will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years?" The LORD replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me. —Zechariah 1:12-13
People often talk about the season they are in.
"I'm in a season where I have to work extra hours and days to build my business. If I want to retire someday, I've got to work overtime today."
This is not a season. This is a lifestyle. It's the kind of lifestyle that makes you wake up one day and wonder where life went when it passed you by.
Some seasons come and go. There are good ones, fun ones, and hard ones. Sometimes, they feel like they last too long. This is when people throughout history have prayed, "How long?" We see these two words pop up in the Psalms again and again. We see them show up in other biblical literature in one life and then another.
Maybe today is a day where you are asking, "How long, O LORD?"
There's a good chance someone told you never to ask God, "Why?" Someone may have told you never to ask, "How long, O LORD?"
These verses tell us how God was asked by the angel LORD, "How long, LORD of Armies, will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years?"
Hear carefully what comes next. The first thing we are told after this question is not a WHAT answer but a HOW answer. The focus is not on what God said but on how he said it.
How did God reply to the seasonal question, "How long, O LORD?"
The LORD replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.
Honest hearts seeking God's direction do not need to fear his reply. His way is a good way, a way of protection and provision, a way of purpose.
Our Father in Heaven's defining characteristic is his perfect love. Expect kind and comforting words when you approach him with honest questions. Trust his heart with all of your pain and fear, worry and longing.
Just a thought: the Bible repeatedly tells us that God's anger lasts only a moment, but his mercy endures forever. God's anger is seasonal, but God's mercy is lifestyle. Expect kindness. Experience comfort.
Prayer:Our Father, I want to trade my seasonal moods and foolishness for a lifestyle that draws your kindness and comfort into my life. Teach me rhythms of grace, under Your direction, and at Your pace. Empower me to mirror Your kindness and comfort to those around me who are stuck in a season where they wonder how long it's going to take until something good happens. Amen.
 | David Bowman, (DMin, PCC) is the Executive Director of Tarrant Baptist Association in Fort Worth, Texas. He also serves as a Multiplying Trainer for Future Church Co. Learn More » |
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