Zechariah 7:9-10 “ Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’”
Dear Kids:
Halloween is just around the corner. This is the time of year when many dress up in costumes. Recently, Luke and Brianna hosted an autumn dress up party. Their little family masqueraded as the cutest beekeeper, flower, and honeybee I’ve ever seen. After the party they took the costumes off and returned to their normal selves. But sadly there are many people who spend their whole lives pretending to be something they are really not.
The prophet, Zechariah, confronted the Judean people about their religious practices. During the seventy years they had spent in captivity they had kept up a regular custom of fasting and mourning. Their actions looked very spiritual and pious, but God saw beyond the outward appearances. Through the prophet He questioned their integrity saying, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years was it actually for Me that you fasted?
The Lord then spelled out His version of true and genuine religiosity. It included dispensing justice and practicing kindness and compassion to all people, as well as refraining from oppressing widows, orphans, strangers or the poor. Those who are the “real thing” will not devise evil in their hearts against one another. They will always speak the truth and judge with accuracy and peace.
Sadly, in the past, God’s people had refused to listen to the former prophets’ words. They closed their ears from listening and continued on in their foolish religious masquerade bringing a great catastrophe upon themselves.
Today, there are still many who portray themselves to be something they are really not. Going to church every week, dropping money in the offering plate, and using religious words and phrases are not the measurement of a genuine Christian. Those who have received God’s Spirit within them will show by their actions that they are the “real thing.” They will have a sincere love for those around them that will be demonstrated by their desire for justice and truth. They will reach out to aid those who are struggling and offer material and emotional help for their times of great need. They will pray for their enemies and seek to do them good instead of evil.
Choosing to dress up in a Halloween costume may or may not be your fancy. But make sure that who you are every day is not a religious masquerade. Do your actions demonstrate your real heart attitudes? Your facade may trick others, but God knows the truth.
Love,
Mama
Have any of you ever said or thought these words? If you are honest I am sure that you, like me, have expressed these feelings at one time or another. Maybe a friend betrayed your trust . . . or a client did you wrong . . . or a family member pushed the wrong button one too many times. People are imperfect and regular contact affords plenty of opportunity for rubbing one another the wrong way. Hurt feelings and raw emotions sometimes get the better of us. But what if there were a different way of handling the situation?
There are only a few more days until Christmas. As the celebration creeps closer and closer some of us are still running around seeking to find the perfect gift for those we love. We scour the lists of ideas that have been given to us and make our choices about which present would best express our thoughts and make our loved ones happy. Hopefully we will choose that perfect something!
Recently, I have taken up a new hobby. It is not a hobby I necessarily wanted to adopt; nevertheless, it became necessary. Each autumn, when the temperature becomes colder, I notice evidence of tiny visitors throughout the house. I am not particularly fond of these pesky intruders, but old farmhouses regularly have their share of these pests. Unfortunately, this year there have been more visitors than usual – hence, my new hobby. I have become a trapper and I specialize in mice.
The mice found a way to enter our lives but their presence was unpleasant. As Christians we also should have a desire to find our way into other people’s lives. By doing so we can develop relationships that will allow us to share the gospel message with them. But we do not want to have a negative affect. Our access to others must always be through love.
We live in a prejudiced world. Though our country has worked hard to eliminate discrimination in its outward manifestations, no one can erase the sinful tendencies of the human heart. Watching our words carefully is not enough. There must be a heart change. God is not a respecter of persons and those who belong to Him should not be either.
Some songs have been sung for years and years. We can rattle out the words by heart and the melody just slips from our tongue. These songs are like an old pair of jeans that fit just right. They are go-to comfort! But sometimes the jeans get put at the bottom of the drawer and we forget about them until one day we find them and remember how good they feel.
There are just some things you can’t get enough of: encouragement, kindness, success . . . or maybe even chocolate cake to name a few. But something that exceeds all these is love.
Luke, Abigail, Dad and I participated in our town’s opera house production of Broadway Tonight, a musical revue produced by members of our small village and several adjacent communities. We had so much fun meeting new people, reconnecting with others, and being part of a fantastic show that everyone enjoyed immensely.
One unfamiliar piece, sung by two star-crossed lovers played by Kylie Beste and Josiah Winey, was particularly emotional. Written in the Stars by Elton John as sung in Aida speaks of lovers who are denied a life together because of political circumstances. The lyrics of the song crush the audience’s hearts as each person can relate to the tragic characters’ agony through their own experiences of lost love and disheartening circumstances.
An unrefined girl wishes only for a room somewhere with a chair and someone to take care of her. (Wouldn’t It Be Loverly sung by Amy Brown).
A young man raised in a jungle by apes searching for his place in the world (Two Worlds from Tarzan sung by Matthew Crickard).
Our God, is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is the lover of our souls. He is the perfect Father we always longed for. He is never changing and will never leave us nor forsake us. Nothing and no one can keep us from His love. He comforts our hearts in times of sorrow. He provides for our every need. He gives joy even in the worst of times. He provides hope when all seems lost. He is everything we could ever dream of or hope for.