The Waiting Room
““Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty. “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’””
Today’s Text: Zechariah 1:7-21 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
In today’s devotion, we encounter the prophet Zechariah, who receives several visions from the Lord. This takes place in the post-exile period, after God’s people had returned to Jerusalem following their captivity under the Babylonians. When they arrived, the city was in ruins, and the temple had not yet been rebuilt. It was a discouraging sight, especially since they were still under the oppression of their enemies, including the Persian Empire.
In the first vision, recorded in verses 7–17, Zechariah sees horsemen patrolling the earth, reporting that everything is at peace. God responds with compassion, promising to show mercy to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple, and to restore His blessings upon the city. In the second vision, from verses 18–21, Zechariah sees four horns, likely representing the nations that opposed Israel, and four craftsmen sent to destroy them. These horns symbolize oppressive powers such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, and Persians. The craftsmen, assigned by God, demonstrate His sovereignty and His power to bring justice against His enemies.
In both of these visions that introduce the book of Zechariah, God assures the prophet and His people that He will provide mercy for His people which includes restoring and protecting them from their enemies.
Have you ever sat in a waiting room? Whether it is at the auto repair shop or at the hospital? It is certainly not a comfortable place to be because you have no idea what is going on behind the closed doors. You are not in control and you do not know when everything will be completed. All you have the ability to do and that you have control over is waiting.
To be honest for me, it feels like everything is so slow in the waiting room. You can hear everything that is happening. All the phone calls, the conversations, the clock ticking, everything! It feels like time has either slowed or even stopped. What feels like an hour is merely five minutes that went by. “Why is this taking so long? Is everything okay back there? Is there something worse that happened?” You start to get anxious, you keep looking at your phone, the chair is getting noticeably uncomfortable.
But behind the closed doors, you know that there are people working on your car or a medical team that is working diligently to bring complete recovery. They are using their skill, practices, discernment, and strength to make sure the procedure is a success. While we are unable to see what is doing on, it does not mean that nothing is happening.
That is exactly what the people of God and Zechariah probably felt in our passage today. They had just returned from being exiled but their temple was still in the ruins. Their enemies were still powerful and it seems like that God was doing nothing. Yet through the visions casted to Zechariah, God was making it clear that through His sovereignty that there was alot happening behind closed doors.
We might find ourselves in this season where nothing seems to be moving. Prayers may feel unanswered and we may feel even stuck in our current circumstances. Yet we must acknowledge that while in our perspective things may be at a standstill, behind the scenes God is preparing and working on a project that will bring complete recovery, restoration, and deliverance. And it is through this time in the waiting room that God will also grow our trust and strength our faith.
God is working behind the scenes to restore us, to deliver us from our enemies, to protect us, and to fulfill His promises. We are in the waiting room, trusting in His work and His timing.
Father in Heaven, help us to trust You continually in this waiting room period. While we do not know nor can we see what You are doing, remind us once ore that You are still at work and that Your promises will always be fulfilled for Your plans are always good. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
