When the struggles in our life stretch into days, weeks, months and years; it is likely that we grow disheartened. We long for deliverance; but it seems that it will never come.
It is then that there is the cry from our hearts, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me for ever” (Psalm 13:1).
When there was such a situation, the Prophet Zechariah was shown a vision. In it he sees matters relating to his nation and people discussed. These people had come back from 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
Encouraged by the preaching of Haggai, they had begun to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. But they had grown discouraged by the seeming insignificance of the new temple they were attempting to rebuild.
At this moment of discouragement, God showed Zechariah an encouraging vision. In it he sees the angel of the LORD interceding for the nation with God asking him, “LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years” (Zechariah 1:12 NIV).
There is every reason to trust that this intercessor is none other than the Lord Jesus who longed to gather the children of Jerusalem together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
In response to his powerful intercession, the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who was talking with Zechariah instructing him about the things he was seeing in the vision. And God asked the angel to proclaim to the people that God was jealous about Jerusalem and would visit her with mercy and that her glory would be restored.
Dear child of God, your Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, ever lives in heaven to intercede for you. Even when the struggle in your life seems overwhelming and no solution is seen, and there is a great delay in seeing the answer to your prayers, know that you have an elder brother (Hebrews 2:17) interceding for you before God’s throne of grace (Hebrews 7:25). And when he intercedes for you; there is a message of hope coming your way.
God is ready to speak kind and comforting words to you today. So take courage. In spite of your discouraging circumstances, God is concerned for you and will look on you with favour. Trust his word.
And what do these comforting words say? It says that God will bring about a change in your life and circumstances. He will bring back joy in your life and give you peace. He is a God who cares and he has a message of hope for you today. Believe it.