| Day 499: Read today's devotional on Bible Gateway. Gathered by His Love"I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries. The people of Israel will become like mighty warriors, and their hearts will be made happy as if by wine. Their children, too, will see it and be glad; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. "When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them. From the few who are left, they will grow as numerous as they were before. Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations, they will still remember me in distant lands. They and their children will survive and return again to Israel. I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will resettle them in Gilead and Lebanon until there is no more room for them all. "They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back, and the waters of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end. By my power I will make my people strong, and by my authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the Lord, have spoken!"
(Zechariah 10:6-12) ReflectOne day God will unite all his people. This verse tells about God's reuniting of the Jews (see also Jeremiah 31:10) from all the countries where they had been dispersed. This was a startling idea: the people of the northern kingdom of Israel were so completely absorbed into other cultures after their captivity in 722 b.c. that gathering them together once again could not be done by human means. Only by God could accomplish this impossible task for them. Egypt and Assyria evoked memories of slavery and separation. The "sea of distress" (Zechariah 10:11) refers to the Red Sea, through which the Israelites were miraculously delivered from Egypt. Just as the Israelites returned once again from Egypt and other lands, they would continue to be protected by God's miraculous power. RespondGod promises to strengthen his people. When we stay closely connected to God, his Spirit will enable us to do his will despite the obstacles. God can bring us healing when we are hurt, peace when we are troubled, and strength when we are weak. Trust God to minister to you. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment