Out of the Pit -- Into the Plan

One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Thursday, December 26, 3013:  Zechariah 9:1-17

11   “As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.  12  Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope.  Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.  13  For I have bent Judah, My bow, fitted the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you like the sword of a mighty man.”  Zechariah 9:11-13 (NKJV)

God finds us where we are, but He never leaves us that way.  A major word throughout Scripture is RESTORATION.  He picks up our broken pieces and puts us back together again.

We bring hell on ourselves and then can spend a lifetime digging out of our self-made pit.  Whether it be broken marriages or sinful mistakes; dumb decisions or missed opportunities.  Life can be full of "what if's" and "what might have been."

Beth Moore wrote a book about pits.  She says there are three kinds:  1) pits you fall into by mistake, 2) pits you are thrown into by someone else, and 3) pits you just plain jump into by your own decision.  No matter which, all of us from time to time find we are "trapped" in a waterless pit.

God says that He has made a covenant of redemption with you.  That covenant is based on His sovereign power and determination.  He has signed it in His own blood.  All we are asked to do is believe Him and trust in His restoring actions.

One of the incredible things about RESTORATION is that the end result is far better than before.  He doubles us.  The bone, after healing from its brokenness, is STRONGER than before.  Job had double AFTER his trials!  The vineyards of Joel are multiplied AFTER the palmer worm and canker worm have done their destructive work.

Our God loves to show His power to restore lost causes.  He raises the dead.  Therefore, we are "prisoners of hope."  Our hope is build solely on Him, His character, His compassion.  And that never  fails.

Bur restoration carries us further.    He puts a sword in our hand and makes us mighty.  More that repair from failure, He carries us on to the power to prevail.  This is His promise.  This is His plan.  This is the path He invites each of us to walk with Him.