Return

Zech 1:3 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Return to Me', says the Lord of hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the Lord of hosts."

Two months after God came to Haggai and told him to prophesy to the nation of Israel, He came to Zechariah and told him to speak to Israel as well. So, while Haggai was telling the people to get their priorities straight, Zechariah was saying: "Return to me…or repent." The fact that people had gotten their priorities so out of wack was sin. The fact that people were putting their personal interests in front of the interests of God was sin. Their aim was totally off and they were missing the mark…and God said:
"Come back. Turn. Return. Turn around. Change your mind. Change your ways. Stop going the way you are going and make a U-Turn. Repent."

If they did this, God made a promise…He said: "If you return to Me, I will return to you." Same word. "If you repent, I will repent." Interesting. God would repent? Yes. He would not repent from anything that He was doing wrong…rather, He would turn His face to them in favor. As He said through Haggai: "But from this day I will bless you." 2:19 God would be like the Father of the Prodigal Son and run to the ones who were coming back. Once again, the true heart of God.

I am thankful for God's heart. I am thankful for His mercy and grace. I know that I screw up so often I wonder how God can be so patient, so forgiving, so willing to run back an embrace me. But He does. All He asks is that I realize when I have messed up and turn from it and turn back to Him. When I do this He grants me His unmerited favor and says: "from this day I will bless you."

I know. Yesterday I opened my mouth. My mouth is so dangerous. You think you have this thing called your tongue under control and then it pops out. Words that are not encouraging. Words that are not building. Instead the words cause others to doubt, or wonder. Dumb. When will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut if I can't say something good. After the words exited my mouth, I had to apologize to the person that I said them to and I had to go to God and say: "God I am sorry." It was at that point that God said: "You are forgiven. I am turning my face to you again." True repentance means that I will put a guard over my mouth. I will ask God to put the Sentry of the Holy Spirit up to remind me to stop negative words before they come out of my pie hole.

I thank God that He says: "Return to me and I will return to you."