Zechariah 10:1-12 Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation.
Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. “My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler—all of them together. They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord. “I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return.
I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them. He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the Lord.
You all do wander like lost sheep. You look to so many useless things for answers – crystals, psychics, the natural world, politics, movements, causes, other humans. You look everywhere but to me, the only one who can help you. I bring the rain. I bring the sun. I create everything. You are nothing without me. Yet, you are too stubborn and prideful to submit to me. That is why this world is in such turmoil. That is the cause for war, strife, hatred, racism, ugliness of all sorts. That is why you cannot find peace. You cannot end violence. You cannot end the destruction of marriages and families. Only I can do all that. Only I can change the human heart and bring love out of hatred, lightness from darkness, hope from desperation, healing from infirmity. I AM. It is that simple, yet endlessly difficult for you humans. When will you learn? The evidence is everywhere. In your history. In your daily lives. In the patterns that you follow. In what seems to be your inevitable futures. Wake up. Insanity reigns – you all continue to do what you know does not work. When something breaks, do you believe that you are capable to fixing it? Like a car, can all of you repair a car that does not run? No – you seek a qualified mechanic. Yet, when it comes to those intricate, intangible parts of the human spirit – love, hatred, bitterness, hope, desperation, violence, suffering, etc. – you all believe you have the answers. What do you know of the human spirit, really? Did you create it? Did you breathe life into it? Are men your children? No, it is I who created you all. It is I who is father to every life entity. So, why do you not seek me to guide you, to heal you, to “fix” you and your society? It is a vortex – you all just keep getting sucked deeper and deeper into your own selfish pride and ambitions. It will be the ruin of you. Look around, it is already decimating you all.
Yet, even now, after generations of being ignored by most of you, being disdained and hated by so many of you – my own children – I am willing to forgive and heal you. I am willing to restore your relationships with me. But you must turn to me. You must relinquish what is broken to me, the master creator. Relinquish your wants, your pride, your damaged emotions, your selfish desires and plans – submit. Repent. It is one thing to be sorry for what is happening, to desire it be fixed, yet another to truly repent. Repentance requires taking a new path. Turning from what was to what I lead you to. But, time is running out. Watch the clock. It ticks toward my return, when all will be made well. Will you be with me, or against me? It is your choice. (2018)
Amanuensis 