“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud..!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on… the foal of a donkey…
He shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and… to the ends of the earth.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double…
“On that day the Lord their God will save them,
as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
“Their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord…
“I will make them strong in the Lord,
and they shall walk in his name.” Zechariah 9:9,10b-12,16; 10:6-7,12
The prophet’s promise of Zion’s coming King was embellished with great anticipation. Rejoice! Behold! This righteous, humble, omnipotent Regent will bring a peace and freedom and blessing you can hardly imagine! So rejoice greatly! No matter what trouble you face or opposition you presently encounter, on that glorious day of salvation you will shine on the land! As this hosanna will be repeated on Jesus’s journey to the cross, let this hope spur you on and fill you with joy! (John 12:12-15,27,32; Hebrews 12:2)
How easy it is to get stuck in the quagmire of difficulties. They abound in life here below: rubs in relationships, sweat in toil, failures in health, conundrums in thought, pressures in finances, sadnesses in spirit. Since Eden we’ve struggled with enemies without and within, but the Lord’s true and abiding promises fortify His children with unshakable hope to endure. It is the very substance of His pledge that gives strength to keep on, with gladness. Every facet of His perfect character, every sparkle of His glory, the impenetrable sureness of His promises are all ours to behold, hold, and apply. (Genesis 3:15-19; Romans 7:15,18-19)
With what are we currently dealing that threatens to consume? What pesky mites of irritation or pounding weight of sorrow? The enemy will use anything to destroy sure and future hope, anything to distort the truth that this life is not all there is. If we would turn instead to behold our eternal King, the One who reigns to the edges of our imagination and emotions and the ends of the earth, He would transform our mindset. He would cause the pressure and fire of now to turn us to jewels that shine forever. Will we yield our attention? (2 Corinthians 4:17)
How will we carry and spread the light of our Savior into the bleakness around us? What truth can we speak to illumine spiritual darkness? What love into dissension, prejudice, and animosity? What calm into storms of misunderstanding and anxiety? What beauty into ugly conversations and situations? What comfort into hurt and grief? What qualities of our Lord can we make known in our interactions and industry?
Lord, help me actively live out the hope of Your lavish promises, shining Your love and excellencies in this dark world and so glorify You.
As the rain and snow 