Discover His heart: He is the God who does the impossible
One of the highlights of my life to date was a trip I took several years ago to visit the Holy Land. It was a thrill to look out across the Sea of Galilee and imagine Jesus viewing the same scene so many years ago, to walk the streets of Jerusalem where He walked and visit the Garden of Gethsemane stained by His tears. At the Wailing Wall, I felt as though I heard the prayers of God’s people through the ages, prayers for peace and safety. Will it come?
@Zechariah 8
Returning to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon, the Israelites saw utter devastation to their beautiful city and Temple. The controlling forces in Jerusalem had no desire to see Jerusalem rebuilt by the Jews, but God’s people rebuilt their Temple by the Spirit of the Lord (4:6). Now their prophet gave a declaration from the lord, “I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: ‘Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.’” (3-5)
These words were difficult to accept because of the dismal reputation that Israel had in the eyes of its neighbors. Zechariah was a great Messianic and end-times prophet and the words that he shared from God will come true. Throughout the ages, God enabled the Jews time and again to return to their Jerusalem, but because of their rejection of Him as in the day of Zechariah, they had been scattered throughout the world.
In 1948, Israel was once again recognized as a nation before the eyes of the world, and just as in the past, their neighbors did not accept them. Zechariah continued the message that has carried Israel through these many years of turmoil, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” (6) Nothing speaks more clearly of God performing the impossible for Israel than does the six-day war of June 1967, where Israel fought against countries much larger and better equipped, yet came out the victors.
One day the prophecy of Zechariah will come to pass and the Lord will return to Mount Zion and live in Jerusalem. Until that day, those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior have been grafted into the vine as His chosen people and can claim His promises to Israel as well. Circumstances that seem impossible to us now – our healing, a job, our unsaved loved ones, or whatever it is – must respond to the question from the Lord, “Is it impossible for me?” Israel is our example of how the hand of God moves in the impossible areas of our lives. “With God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)
Moving Forward: Believing today for the impossible things in my life to be touched by the God of possibility.
Tomorrow @ Acts 17-18
Phyllis Benigas 