Over the past week's readings, I think a recurring theme is purity. God desires a pure heart. I really like the definition of purity: unmixed with any other matter. God is wanting us to not be mixed with any other worldly thing--He wants us to Himself. What a challenge!
This makes me think of Romans 12:2 "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." We don't want to be conformed to the world, but we do want to affect the world, especially those that God has put around us.
Zechariah can talk again! Remember, God closed his mouth because of his unbelief. Now that he has followed through on what God wanted of him, God has reopened his mouth. It's amazing to read Zechariah's prophecy about John--what a faith-filled statement from him. This is now a man that truly believes in the power of God.
There are so many scriptures in this passage that we could dwell on. So many of them are so encouraging, no matter what your life is like right now. Our God is listening to us, He will deliver us, He challenges us to pursue peace and turn from evil. One of my favorites, though, is verse 18: "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit."
How many times do we feel all alone with a broken heart? Here's God's promise, that even though sometimes we feel all alone, in fact, God is close. What an amazing thought!
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