Based on Zechariah 2:1-13 (New King James Version)
“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, ‘Where are you going?’ And he said to me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.’ And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, who said to him, ‘Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ’ ‘Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,’ says the Lord; ‘for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,’ says the Lord. ‘Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.’ For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. ‘Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ says the Lord. ‘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. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!’”
When will God work? That's a question many of us ask ourselves, especially when we're going through difficult times. To start, God can do whatever He wants whenever He wants. He has the power to answer our prayers now, to perform miracles, as well as to let many things take their natural course. What we can conclude through His Word is that this world is not perfect, and it will never be perfect, because of sin, either because of the sin of those who preceded us, as well as because of our own sins, and also because of the sins of the people around us. In one way or another, we are all responsible for the present condition of the world, whether we want to accept it or not, so the unpleasantness that happens is not God's fault, but man's fault.
This leads us to explain something else that is not very easy to accept, that our hopes should not be placed in today's world, and for many reasons. That doesn't mean that God can't act now, because again, He can do incredible things. He can do miracles and wonders. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but He does not see the circumstances of this world as a priority. And also, one of the clarifications that we must make together with this is that our present circumstances are not necessarily dictated by our spirituality, per se. This is where such gospels of prosperity and well-being are discredited, for example, and that our faith is what dictates our present conditions. Rather, everything depends on the will of God, on what He wants to carry out. Faith does not necessarily dictate our circumstances. What's more, faith is not about positivism, nor even less about believing enough to get what you want. So, if a believer does well (carnally speaking), it does not mean that their faith is strong, or that he does everything well. And the opposite is also true, that because things go wrong (carnally speaking) for a believer does not necessarily mean that they are practicing sin or have a weak faith. Be very careful with these things. This is what the Word says: “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Romans 9:15-16. So, yes, we must pray and ask when we need things that are in line with His will, and of course, when we have needs, but always with the expectation of what He finally decides to do. We must always remember that He is Lord and not us. His will must always be done, and not ours. And also, if God gives a lot to a person, it is because God has certain expectations of that person, as it is written: “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48.
We must also understand the reason why the here and now is not the priority for God, and that is because this world is temporary. We're not going to be here forever. This is what the Word says: “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:16-17. So, it is not a good idea to focus too much on well-being in the present because it will go away, it is something temporary. Everything we experience here carnally will one day end, and not even a trace of it will remain. Logic itself should help us understand that. Money comes and goes, from one moment to the next. Human power is constantly changing. Health can be lost in moments. Even personal relationships can end, whether due to a misunderstanding or an accident, as well as for many other reasons. What can we say about illnesses that do not even discriminate against children? It is no longer a question of old age, or lack of care, or anything like that. Anyone can leave our side for many reasons. So, knowing this reality, does it make any sense to cling so much to this temporary world and to the things and even the people who are with us? I'm not saying they don't matter, but there are bigger things to hold on to, and this leads us to consider what follows.
So, if we are followers of Christ, what should be our main focus? What we read today at the beginning, eternity, being able to be with our God and Lord forever, where sin is no longer present, and only perpetual perfection exists. The Lord will arise, carry out eternal judgment, and all those who were not found in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire, along with the devil and his hosts, but we who love the Lord and seek to do His will as a product of our faith, despite the price we have to pay (because there is a price to pay to follow the Lord), we will obtain our reward, the fruit of our works, and we will be with the Lord forever. This is what the Word says: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8. And the Lord says this also to strengthen even more our hope: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. So, we have a lot to gain. Our hope in Christ does not compare to any problem we have today, nor to anything the world can offer us. All this will end, but our hope is eternal. So, are you living according to our future hope in Christ, or as if this world is the only thing that matters? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!