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Day 5 Zechariah 7 Zechariah 7:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; 2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD, 3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? 4 Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, 5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? 6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? 7 Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? 8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, 9 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother: 10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. 13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, says the LORD of hosts: 14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. How often do you just go through the motions without paying attention to what you are doing or saying? The only time you pay attention to what you are doing is the first couple times, because it’s new. The road you travel to work, the instructions for a recipe, the words of a song, they’re all familiar to you, and when you hear or do them, you do them by rote. God told Zechariah the people didn’t sacrifice to him, but for themselves. They didn’t pray to him, the words they said were familiar and meant nothing after so many years of repeating the same thing. God told him that if the people would listen, they would hear what he said in the law. They would hear what the former prophets said, and then they would be accountable for what they heard. As Christians, you need to hear the words you sing, pay attention to the prayers you pray, listen to the words of the sermon. When you tell someone, you will pray for them, do it. Don’t just say you will and then walk out the door forgetting your promise, forgetting the sermon, forgetting the songs you sung. When you do that, your worship is meaningless. Next time you pray, pay attention to the words you speak. Next time you hear a song, pay attention to the words. Next time you tell someone you will pray, do it right then, don’t wait. When you do, you will hear God speak. When he speaks, you will be blessed, and you will be a blessing to those around you. Let’s pray: Father, help me pay attention to those things which have become familiar. Give me fresh ears, fresh eyes, and a fresh understanding for your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 11 April 2018 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay