DIAMOND HARD HEARTS OF DESTRUCTIVE!

DIAMOND HARD HEARTS OF DESTRUCTIVE!

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” —Zechariah 7:9-10

They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, great anger came from the LORD of hosts. —Zechariah 7:12

            Here is what the right thing to do is from our Lord’s perspective—

• Render true judgments— Imagine if true and just judgments were taking place all the time. What a different place our world would be!  We who know Jesus should strive to render true judgments.
• Show kindness and mercy to one another— What would that look like if everyone would be kind all the time to each other! Or consider how it would be if mercy was extended to people continually. How wonderful that they would be!
• Do not oppress the widow— Those who have lost a spouse are vulnerable. How good to bring them relief instead of burdening them further by taking advantage of them.
• Do not oppress the fatherless— Children without a father have such a huge hole in their life and are susceptible to great atrocities being done to them. How can we encourage them?
• Do not oppress he sojourner— Foreigners need encouragement as they come to a new culture and way of life. They should be helped and not hindered.  How can we help them?
• Do not oppress the poor—- Jesus said the poor would always be with us and so there is always opportunity to help them and we should. How can we help them?
• Let none of you devise evil against another in your heart— This we surely should not be doing. We are not to scheme wicked actions toward others.   We should not even begin to think about doing so!  Instead, we should be pondering how to do good to all people, especially those of the household of God.

Fellow follower of Jesus, we should be setting the example of doing and being what our Lord desires.  May it be so!  May we listen to His Word and have pliable, soft and obedient hearts. 

Think of how awful a “diamond-hard heart” is.  It can be so destructive as it does not listen to or heed the Word of God and harms others.  Those who do not listen or heed to the Word of God will end up having destructive thoughts and actions.  Unfortunately… this is much of most of our world is and it greatly angers our Lord. 

The day will come when He will make all things right.  But, until then, fellow follower of Jesus, He has called us to be His examples and bring the message of reconciliation to this world.  May we faithfully do so— bringing hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless.  Yes, Dear Father, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus for Your glory and the benefit of others.