Prospering communities are built upon solid truth. Help build that foundation where you live.
Read / Listen
Read Zechariah 8
Listen to passage & devotional:
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 112
Q. What is God’s will for you
in the ninth commandment?
A. God’s will is that I
never give false testimony
against anyone,
twist no one’s words,
not gossip or slander,
nor join in condemning anyone
without a hearing
or without a just cause.
Rather, in court and everywhere else,
I should avoid lying
and deceit of every kind;
these are devices the
devil himself uses,
and they would call down on me
God’s intense anger.
I should love the truth,
speak it candidly,
and openly acknowledge it.
And I should do what I can
to guard and advance my
neighbor’s good name.
Summary
I think those of us who live in small, rural communities, many of which have seen better days, can really identify with Zechariah 8. We long to see the streets busy again, the shops and stores open & bustling, and the churches full of old people leaning on their canes while watching scores of children playing.
Imagine the excitement the men hearing this felt as God called for strong hands so the temple may be built! The businesses would be flush with cash and the wages high. Seed would grow well, the vineyards would teem with fruit. Best of all, people from all over the world would want to join, not because of the awesome economy, but because they "heard that God is with you."
In short, their community would thrive once again!
God gives four short requirements for His people in order to gain these blessings, but all of them stem from the ninth commandment. In v16-17, He tells His people to:
Speak the truth;
Render true judgments;
Do not plot evil;
Do not love to swear falsely.
In other words, adhering to the ninth commandment is the foundation for civic blessings from God.
Dig Deeper
We always need to be careful with prophetic promises like what we just read. God made these promises to a particular people, living in a particular place, at a particular time in history. A community might be united around an unbreakable commitment to truth, yet not realize any of the benefits God promised here to Israel. In the same way, communities with poor economies and no children did not necessarily become that way because they were liars.
But when we read Zechariah 8 in the light shed by the rest of scripture, we see how it reinforces a common theme: That God loves truth and often blesses those who are committed to it.
You must be known as a truthful person, not just because your local economy depends upon it, but because you are a redeemed image bearer of the God of all truth.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the LORD Almighty, who restores His people to shalom when they repent and live in truth;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God grants you the courage and strength to live truthfully;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 6
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