For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Today is Christmas Eve. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.

    The writer gives us four examples of things that are small and weak, yet can make a large impact on their surroundings by wisely using what strengths they have. Let us learn to follow their example.

    When things look bad, let us turn to the Lord for rescue. I will put my trust in the Lord at all times.

    John describes how in his vision he saw seven angels holding the final seven plagues. As he saw the seven angels he saw those who had been victorious over the beast (as in, they had refused to worship it). They were standing before God singing His praises. They sang God’s praises with joy despite the suffering they experienced, or maybe because of it. The passage tells us that the time will come when God will tolerate the sins of mankind no more and punish all of those who will not turn from those sins one final time.

    Zechariah sees a vision of four chariots, each chariot pulled by horses of a different color. We are told that the four chariots are the four spirits who stand before the Lord and who are going out to do His work. It is interesting to me that we are only told where three of the four chariots are going. I was curious as to the meaning of the different colors of the horses, but found little commentary on it that did not try to connect these to the four horsemen in Revelation. I do not think we miss the true meaning of this vision when we attempt to tie it to Revelation. However, I found one which pointed out the four colors indicate that each of these chariots/spirits is a different category of mission.
    Later in this passage, some of the people asked Zechariah if they should continue to maintain their tradition of mourning the destruction of the Temple (since the Temple had since bee rebuilt). Zechariah tells them that when they fasted and mourned, and when they celebrate, they are not doing so for God. Rather they have made these periods of mourning and religious celebration about themselves. We do not need to keep particular fasts, or feasts, on particular Holy Days in order to please God. No matter what we celebrate, or mourn, no matter what rituals and traditions we keep, what pleases God is that we do not oppress those without the power to resist (widows, orphans, foreigners, the poor, etc) and that we do not scheme about how to take advantage of each other. If we treat others with justice and respect, God will be pleased with us.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     A delegation went to Zechariah and asked him if they should continue to mourn and fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple, now that the Temple had been rebuilt. Zechariah responded by asking them if they had truly been fasting for God. He then told them that when they had holy festivals, they ate and drank to please themselves rather than to glorify God. He tells them that he has the same message that the prophets gave their ancestors, a message to which their ancestors had refused to listen.
     Zechariah tells them that rather than worry about feast days and fast days God wants them to judge fairly and show mercy and kindness to one another. God desires that they not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, or the poor. In addition, God commands that they not scheme against one another. This was the message to which their ancestors did not listen and as a result God sent them into exile. By their sins they had turned their pleasant land into a desert. This is an important message for any nation or people. If you oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and/or the poor and scheme against one another, you will turn a pleasant land into a desolate desert.

     As John’s vision reaches its climax, he saw a host of people gathered before God’s throne. They were the people who had been victorious over the beast by refusing to worship it or bear its number. They had remained faithful to God and now stood before Him to sing His praises. Now as His judgment was about to be poured out on the earth for the wicked ways of its people, they declared that God’s ways are just and true and all peoples and nations would learn to fear Him. All nations will praise and worship God in that day.

     I am not going to say that this is the complete answer, but this psalm outlines the place to start if you are suffering from depression. The psalmist appears to have been suffering from depression, but nevertheless he cried out to God. He was losing hope and paralyzed by fear, yet he remembered God’s great works and meditated on them. He turned to God and begged for an answer. He turned to God and chose to do God’s will. The psalmist rededicated himself to serving God and expressed his confidence that God would rescue from his distress because he believed in God’s unfailing love. I will not tell you that you may not need more treatment than this if you are suffering from depression, but I will tell you that this is the place to start. If depression is overwhelming you, cry out to God and ask His Spirit to show you what to do. Meditate on His word, seek to do His will, and His Spirit will show you the way out.

     The proverb writer tells us of small creatures which give us examples to follow. Ants are small and not particularly strong, but they work industriously preparing for times of hardship. Rock badgers are not powerful so they make their home among the rocks so that other creatures cannot get at them. Locusts have no hierarchy, yet they advance in ranks like an army. Lizards can be caught by hand, but they are everywhere. Let us be industrious, choose places of safety to live, work with others in an orderly fashion, and go wherever God sends us despite the danger.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

     Zechariah has a vision of four chariots which come out from between two bronze mountains. He is told that they are the four spirits who stand before the Lord. They are sent out to patrol the earth, one to each of the cardinal directions (East, North, West and South). Once they have gone out, the prophet is told to look and see that the spirit sent to the North has vented the Lord’s anger there.
     Zechariah is then instructed to make a crown for the high priest. He is told that the roles of priest and king will be brought together in harmony.
     The prophet then tells of a time when the people of Bethel sent a delegation to him to ask whether they should continue to fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. Zechariah receives a message from the Lord asking them if they were really fasting for God when they fasted, or were their fasts and feasts really for themselves? God accuses them of eating and drinking for their own enjoyment at their religious festivals. Zechariah tells them that rather than fasts and feasts God desires them administer justice, and show mercy and compassion to one another. God desires that they not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the poor or the foreigner. They should not plot evil against each other.
     How appropriate this passage is for the day before Christmas? How much are our Christmas celebrations for us, rather than celebrations of what God has done? Are we busy showing compassion for others? Or are we busy getting stuff to make us look good to others? Is Christmas really about God, or is it about us? I resolve to once more make Christmas about God. Christmas should be an opportunity for us to show God’s love to those around us, an opportunity to show that being Christian makes us different, gives us different priorities.

     The writer sees a vision of all of the people who were victorious over the beast, his statue, and his number. They were standing before God, singing His praises. Let us likewise sing about how great and marvelous are his deeds. Let us bring glory to His name. In order to do that we need to be specific about the things He has done that we see as so wonderful. I will tell the story of how, when I was in a job that made me desperately unhappy, He led me to an opportunity that gave me joy. Or, how when my wife and I were getting married and because of events going on in our lives we questioned whether we should put off getting married, He gave us a sign that made His will clear (when we approached the caterer where we wanted to have our reception, he told us that he had no open Saturdays for the next two years…except for the date we wanted that had just been become available because the couple that had reserved it had cancelled the day before). Never forget to tell your stories of what God has done in your life to show how great and wonderful He is. I will strive in every aspect of my life to bring glory to God.

     Today’s psalm is a cry of desperation. He is losing hope. He is paralyzed with fear. He is suffering from depression. Yet, in all of that he turns to the Lord. He cries out to the Lord in his anguish. He recognizes that he is not righteous before the Lord, that no one is. The answer to his depression and hopelessness is to remember all of the great things that God has done in the past. But that is not enough, he seeks out God’s guidance and direction. He knows that the answer to his depression is to do God’s will, to seek the path that God has laid out for him.

     This proverb describes four creatures that are small and not particularly mighty that through wise action succeed where others fail. Let us model our lives on such things. Rather than seeking to be mighty, let us exercise wisdom in the small things.