Author: Scott

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” Malachi 1:2 Years ago, while halfway through a marathon for which I was poorly prepared, a runner ahead of me veered off course and collapsed. I’m ashamed to admit that I was a little thrilled. I realized that I’d get…
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In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver . . . Zechariah 13:8-9 I have come to very much appreciate the life and joy to be…
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Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 When I was a child, long before the days of online shopping, we had toy catalogues. Once, I found the exact thing I had always wanted and…
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The household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Zechariah 10:2 Our dog has become overweight because he eats whatever I give him, and I have apparently been giving him too much. To correct this, I give him fewer calories and he loses weight. It’s a pretty…
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I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Zechariah 8:7-8 Drug addiction was only the most obvious manifestations of a life pointed at myself. I…
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Show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor . . . Zechariah 7:9-10 Growing up in a small town, I knew where the bars and churches were. I knew that those who went to church were Christians and those who went the bar weren’t.…
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This shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God. Zechariah 6:11 Whenever I’ve struggled with some self-destructive behavior, I’ve struggled because the behavior is something that I want to do. I have an appetite for unhealthy food. I’ve had an appetite for drugs. I’m naturally self-centered. In these struggles,…
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Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 I’ve previously mentioned that I’m a bit obsessed with how we change. I need to know. Does God change me, or do I change myself? Personally, I can say that I’ve erred in two extremes in answering this question.…
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“Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” Zechariah 3:4 Those of us who have been enslaved by our destructive behaviors have come to know the futile but tempting fantasy of wishing for a new start.…
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Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you. Zechariah 1:3 I don’t remember a time when I didn’t believe in God. My faith though, has waxed and waned according to my life choices. In my addiction, though I still believed, I followed me above all. If faith is keeping my…
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