Things You Shall Do

For thus says the Lord of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”
Zechariah 8:14-17
 
The Lord declares that he is a jealous God and that he will share his glory with no other gods. He promises destruction to the third and fourth generations of those that hate him and refuse to keep his commandments. He promises love to all who keep his commandments. He has sent forth his Son to save the world, to keep his Law, to pay the penalty for sin, and to rescue or buy back you and me from sin, death, and the devil. We are very good at breaking his commandments. We are very good at sinning and running away from God. We need intervention. We need him to rescue. This is exactly what Jesus does. A rescue won’t happen if Jesus doesn’t come down and deliver. He becomes part of the creation and is born of the Virgin Mary. He dies on the cross and rises again. The ancient serpent is crushed, and the death is undone. To you he gives his Word. He keeps his promise. All we have is his truth. In the midst of temptations, we want to conform to the world, but he bids us remain in the truth. Speak truth. What is truth? The Good News of your salvation and the love of God for you. It is unending and unwavering. It cannot be destroyed or diluted. The Word of God endures forever. Speak this truth always.