The Secret Garden Chronicles - "Sing and Rejoice, O Daughter..."

10.  "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion!

For behold, I Am coming and I will dwell in your midst,"

says the Lord.

11.  Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day

and they shall become My people.

And I will dwell in your midst.

Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to you.

12.  And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance

in the Holy Land,

and will again choose Jerusalem.

13.  Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, 

for He is aroused from His Holy habitation!"

Zechariah 2:10-13

Just let these words sink down deep into your heart today, my friends.  There is something very powerful and beautiful in these words of the Prophet Zechariah.  I won't attempt to interpret or explain the timing of this prophecy...I'll leave that up to the theologians.  However, if you pay attention to current world events, primarily in the land of Zion, i.e., Israel, one can't help but feel a tingle of excitement and anticipation, especially in reading verses 12-13.  The Lord directed my reading to these passages as I sat silently in His Presence in the Secret Garden...and it blessed my heart...and I pray it will be a blessing to you as well as you ponder the significance of these words. You might even find yourself wanting to "Sing and Rejoice, O daughter!!"

Note: These photos were taken today on a hike to "Davenport Landing" on the Ocklawaha River near Salt Springs, FL.  We are currently enjoying a visit with our grandson here from Maine, and this is a part of what we did as a family today.  I hope you will enjoy the peace of serenity of this place as you ponder what the Lord is doing in our midst during these days.    Also, these photos are the same place as a previous post, "Like A River Glorious", but if you compare the two you can tell the difference in foliage between today and the previous post that was originally posted in April of last year.  Waiting for the leaves to come back on the trees...but it is still such a "glorious" place to spend time with the Lord.  

A New Week...A Most Significant Week...

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to your desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"  Matthew 23:37-39

As we begin this most significant week, better known as Holy Week, or the week of Christ's Passion...our world is still in great turmoil.  Our country is in great turmoil, and for many, our homes are even in great turmoil.  As Jesus entered Jerusalem that day, He wept, because He had come to save them, and they did not realize how very near their salvation had come.  Although on this particular day, they hailed Him as their Savior, and spread palm branches before Him, just a few days later those same people were hurling stones and crying out "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!".  They did not know Who He was...they did not realize how close their long awaited Messiah was to them at that very hour.  They rejected Him, and in so doing, they missed the blessing of what God had prepared for them.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be guilty of missing the blessing that God has prepared for me.  I want my ears to be ready to listen, I want my heart to be open to His message of love and forgiveness, and I want my feet to be ready to go wherever He might lead me. As we enter this week, I pray that God will attune my ears and heart to connect with His heartbeat...  I pray also for our nation, that we as a people would put aside our feelings of hatred and anger and take time to stop and listen to the voice of the Savior as He cries over our "Jerusalem"...I hope we don't miss out on this opportunity to be gathered together under His wings and be sheltered and protected...and saved.

May your week be blessed...and holy.