Zechariah 8'9

 Zechariah 8:9 says, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.  God called on the people who heard the word of God from the prophets and who had laid the foundation of the temple to be strong in continuing the work.  We as followers of Christ today must continue to build on the foundation of faith in Christ that brings us salvation.  We should never stop listening to God's word.  Verse ten adds, For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.  God said that before this time, because His people would not listen to and obey His word, that He had left them with no one to do the work.  If we do not listen to God today and obey His word, we will be left with noone to do His work.  Verse eleven declares, But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that He would no longer be the same to the residue, or remnant of the people.   He was no longer going to turn away from them, because they had returned to Him in faith.  If we turn away from God, as a nation or an individual, we should not be surprised if God turns away from us, but if we return to Him once more, He stands ready to bless us once more so that we can do His work.  Verse twelve adds, For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.  God promised that they were going to once again be blessed with an abundance of what they needed.  I believe that this was a promise to meet their everyday needs with an abundance, and not a promise to give them everything that they wanted.  We have God's promise to supply all our needs, but not to supply all our wants, and our needs are supplied so that we can do the work that God has called us to do.  Verse thirteen continues, And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.  God said that when they obeyed Him, that He would once again make them a blessing to the heathen, those who did not believe in Him, instead of the curse that they had become.  This was a promise to all those who were called His people, both Judah and Israel.  The people of God may have divided themselves physically, but they were still all God's people united in faith.  God said they need not be afraid to be strong in doing His work.  We today, even if we are physically separated, are all united by faith in Jesus Christ if we are His followers, and we need not be afraid to do what He calls us to do.  The only way that we as Christians can be a blessing to the lost people of the world is if we are obedient to God and do what He calls us to do.  Verse fourteen states, For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:  God said that their fathers had not been faithful to Him and that He had allowed them to be defeated.  God also said that He did not repent, or believe that He had done wrong in this.  If we are punished for our sins because we refuse to follow God's call, then we cannot expect Him to suddenly say that everything is ok and that He should not punish us for our sins.  He makes salvation available to everyone, and if we refuse to accept it, the blame is not His, but ours.  Verse fifteen adds, So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.  God said that He had now determined to do good to His people, because they had returned to Him in faith.  God awaits to do good to those who will come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ today.