Wild and Wonderful Visions

"God is faithful. His purposes stand. Your life is NOT an accident, but part of an astonishing Plan!" These are some of Zechariah's conclusions from the wild and wonderful visions God gave to him. This prophet came to preach in Judah when the city was being rebuilt after the Assyrians and Babylonians had leveled it and stripped it of treasure. For 70 years the 'city of God' was a ruin until once again the Spirit stirred Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, and others to go and rebuilt the city and the Temple. It was not just buildings that needed to be restored. The spirit of the people was broken, too.

"Where is God? Why has He allowed this to happen? What should we do now?" they asked. Zechariah comes to preach and tells them about seeing visions of flying scrolls, men with measuring tapes, horses in groves, a woman in a grain basket, and other strange pictures. God, by the Spirit, was giving a new language to His people, restoring their hopes and dreams, calling them to love and serve Him. A crescendo rises with this declaration: "This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ " (Zechariah 4:5-7, NLT)

Disciple, are you dispirited?
Has your life become an endless slog through difficult days and situations, leaving you wondering where God went, what He is doing, or even if He cares a thing about you, your family, or your world?

Pick up the Word and sit for a while with Zechariah. His visions may seem weird to you at first. Give a lengthy time to him. Listen and look. (A modern translation will help. I suggest The Message. If you don't have it you can read many different translations online at www.biblegateway.com ) "And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain. "This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play. "This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Zechariah 8:3-6, NLT)

Yes, the wild and wonderful visions of that prophet inspire me and I pray, they can infuse you with Divine Hope, with a renewed desire to be a subject of the Lord of Heaven's Armies! Zechariah saw what the Lord showed him and reported it faithfully. Some of his visions I'm sure he didn't even understand, as they painted a picture of times far removed from Zechariah's life and time. He saw the two Comings of the Christ- the first a humble servant king riding on a donkey (9:9-10); the second, the Glorious Lord, the Judge of All the Earth. (14:8-9)

When we lift our eyes from our little circumstances, when we realize that life is so much bigger than our 'stuff,' we will see a new vision that will keep us steady - all the way to the foot of the Lord at His throne. As we celebrate Advent, invite the Spirit to plant some wild and wonderful visions in your mind and heart.
Celebrate the birth of a Savior King and anticipate the coming of the Deliverer King who will make all things right. Take it from Zechariah: God is alive and well even when our situations are most impossible and those very situations are the openings into our lives through which He enters with His salvation!
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Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God Thy will to see.
Open my eyes. Illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open My Eyes
Clara Scott © Public Domain