I see You there
God does not limit himself to just one way of connecting with us
Zechariah 5.1-11
Reference: v.1 I looked again – and there before me was a flying scroll!
Explore: I have never seen a flying scroll before, and by the exclamation at the end of this verse it seems that Zechariah hadn't either. Without going into a lot of detail regarding this specific verse, I have been struck at the relevance these prophetic verses have been for me in the 21st Century. It seems that the Lord was able to use a lot of symbolism to help explain the situation of the world to Zechariah, and now that symbolism can be just as aptly applied to today's world.
Application: It is good to delve into a text and see it's historical meaning and interpretation, but it's also good to skim across the top and ask ourselves what God is saying to us in this time and age today. God's word is powerful and impressive upon our lives, but God doesn't reduce himself just to the Bible. We can be struck by something as simple as a friend's conversation, a stranger's comment, a tree, a song, anything that we witness we can see what God is trying to tell us through it.
For example, I was walking along a lake the other day and looking at all the ducks and water-birds. They were so graceful on the water, so protective of their young and so cute as they duck-dived down to rummage through the weeds at the bottom of the lake. My attention was then taken by some crows pecking around on the bank of the lake and my thoughts turned immediately to disgust. After realising this quick change in feelings I reeled back within my mind and thought: why did I react so vehemently? What is the difference between a duck and a crow? They are both birds, they both fly (which would be an amazing gift!), they both have feathers. What makes me smile at one yet snarl at the other? It hit me: their actions. Crows are known to be scavengers, picking flesh off the bones of dead carcasses. It's the birds actions that set them apart, not their general make up. That is the same with all people. We are judged based on our actions, not on our general makeup. We are all given similar bodies but it's what we do with them and how we act that people notice and respond. No matter what we look like, it's our actions that can speak of God's love for our world.
And we can notice His presence in every situation in life.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see you in everything. Amen.
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.