What if the very things we think are losses could be the doorway to God’s greatest blessings?
When Israel came back from captivity, things were not the same. They had been judged for their sins, their land was broken down, and their temple was in ruins. In Zechariah 8, God gave them a promise of blessing, but He also gave them conditions. He said that their days of fasting would be turned into days of feasting if they would return to Him with their hearts and actions.
I can’t help but see the parallel with America. We were once a nation where the Bible was honored, churches were full, and prayer was natural. But we’ve lost our way. Like Israel, we have turned to idols. Our idols may not be golden calves, but they are real. Money, entertainment, politics, and pleasure have stolen the hearts of people who once claimed to know God. And just like He did with Israel, God is calling us back.
Four Things God Said We Must Do
In Zechariah 8:16-17, the Lord gives His people four simple commands:
“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: [17] And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.”
1. Speak the truth to your neighbor.
Lies destroy trust. Our nation is full of lies today, political lies, personal lies, even lies about what is right and wrong. God says, “Speak the truth.” The church must be a place where truth is clear and unshaken, because truth is the foundation for any lasting relationship.
2. Execute judgment of truth and peace in your gates.
In those days, the gates were where decisions and judgments were made. God wanted fairness, justice, and peace to guide every ruling.
Today, this applies to our churches and our lives. We must make decisions based on God’s Word, not on what is popular. Justice without truth is empty. Peace without truth is fake. Both must work together.
3. Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor.
So much sin begins in the imagination long before it shows up in our actions. We must guard our hearts from bitterness, envy, and hatred.
4. Love no false oath.
This means being people of integrity. Keep your word. Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep. Don’t use God’s name to back up something false. God says He hates these things.
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The Foundations We Must Restore
These four commands may seem simple, but they are the very foundations of a healthy society and a strong church. Truth, justice, purity of heart, and integrity are not optional, they are what God requires. If the church today is going to accomplish what God has called us to do, we must restore these lost foundations. We can’t expect a nation to turn back to God if His own people are not living these things out.
How Jesus Simplified It
Jesus summed it all up in one sentence: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39).
That’s it. Love your neighbor. If we truly loved our neighbor, we would speak the truth to them, we would treat them with fairness, we would not think evil against them, and we would keep our word. Every one of these commands is wrapped up in love.
The Gospel
But here is the good news. To truly love your neighbor, you must first know God. And to know God is to know His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
You cannot restore truth, justice, purity, or integrity apart from Him. We are sinners, and we cannot change ourselves. But the Bible says in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, today is the day. Call on Him, turn from your sin, and believe that He died for you, was buried, and rose again. That is the foundation that must be restored above all others.
When God’s people return to Him, the fast will once again become a feast.
