Hard Beds and Hearts

Daily Reading: Zechariah 11

Scripture Focus: Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. (Zechariah 11:9, NIV)

Devotional Thought: "You made your bed hard. Now you can lie in it." That was God's message to his people in Zechariah 11. But, is it not also his word to us today? Do we not live in a world that stands condemned by our own choices? God is probably just as weary with America as he was with his people in Zechariah's day.

In this country, we choose our king. We choose our neighbors. We influence the culture we live in and are influenced by it. And, the degree by which we influence (or don’t influence) our leaders and our neighbors is directly related to the amount of effort we put into the message we share with them. Is God handing us over to our neighbors and our elected officials (verse 6)? God has already given us a Shepherd to pasture the flock (verse 7). But, the flock detests him (verse 8). Is God weary of us (verse 8)? Will God raise up a shepherd for this country who will consume us (verse 16)?

Yes, things looked bleak for his people in Zechariah 11, but even in this chapter we can see we are not utterly abandoned. Verse 17 holds a curse for the worthless shepherd. And, chapter 12 prophesies that the enemies of his chosen people will be destroyed. It wraps up telling us that he will pour out his Spirit of grace and supplication (Zechariah 12:10). And, in fact, God has already poured out his Sprit of grace and supplication through his Son Jesus, the one we pierced. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. We are not abandoned!

John Wade

Prayer: O God of all grace, we thank you today that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Help us to live for you, following the True Shepherd of our souls. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalms 121:5-8)