Zealous for the Lord

For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

    and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

    there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

    to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

    from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.     Isaiah 9:6-7  ESV

We were discussing this passage in our Life Group the other day, mostly concentrating on the names attributed to Jesus (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) when we landed on “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”  It refers to Jesus establishing His kingdom and that it will exist for now and forever, but that it is the zeal of the Lord that will do it. He will rule in his sovereignty now and forevermore. But what is zeal according to the Bible? It’s not a word we really use all that much in this modern era.

Here is a definition of zeal:

In the Bible, zeal signifies a fervent passion, devotion, and enthusiasm for God, His will, and His purposes. It can also refer to a strong desire to defend God's honor or advance His cause.

So, in the verse above God is seen as fervently passionate about establishing His kingdom through His Son Jesus Christ in the work through the cross and all that it does and means for us, His followers. His work will not fail!

When Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple, John noted when he wrote his Gospel that the disciples remembered that “Zeal for your house will consume me.”   John 2:13-17 And Psalm 69:8-9 Again, that fervent, passionate, devotion to defend God’s honor and to advance His cause. We can see Jesus’ zeal for God and His mission on earth leading up to and through his crucifixion. He never wavered in following God’s will.

And this is not just what God does, but it is also for us to exercise in our lives. There are many examples of various people in the Bible acting according to their zeal for the Lord:  Num. 25:6-13;  2 Sam 21:1-6;  2 Kings 10:15-17;  Psalm 119:137-144.  We do, however, must ensure that our zeal is in line with the will of God. Some of the characters in the listed verses didn’t always act according to God’s will and sometimes reaped what they sowed. But God will bless our zeal when we truly follow Him and his Word.

My question to all of us is this: are we walking in that fervent passion, devotion, and enthusiasm for God, His will, and His purposes in our daily lives, not just when we show up for Sunday services or help in our volunteering? Are we doing all we can to advance God’s kingdom in this world while we await His return and entering the New Heavens and New Earth when he restores everything to what it is supposed to be? I know for myself that there are days when my zeal seems to be somewhat lacking, but I pray that I continue to pursue Jesus and walk according to His will and way for my life. I don’t want to do this halfway but to be all in for the kingdom of God.  How about you?

 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (Deut. 6:5)

The idea of loving God with our ALL requires a certain amount of zeal for the Lord in order to accomplish, with His help of course. Amen!

God’s Not My Genie

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8-9 CSB

The Prophet Isaiah really likes to punch me in the gut every now and then. In this passage, Isaiah is calling Israel (in the midst of trial and suffering) to return to the Lord, reminding them that God’s mercy and plans go far beyond their finite human imaginations. But his reminder is both comforting and challenging. Comforting, because it means God sees what I can’t.

Challenging, because it means I don’t always get to understand why things happen the way they do.

When life doesn’t unfold the way I wanted it to, frustration rises.I get disappointed, and yes, sometimes even angry with God. Why didn’t He fix this situation? Why didn’t He answer my prayer the way I imagined. 

But here’s the reality check: do I want God, or do I just want a genie who grants my wishes? A genie serves my desires, but God — our faithful Father — calls me to trust Him, even when His plans don’t match “mine.”

The truth is, God refuses to be my genie because He is infinitely wiser and more loving than I could ever comprehend. His ways and purposes are far better than anything I could dream up.

Trusting Him on His terms means surrendering my expectations and resting in His faithfulness. It means believing He is good even when I don’t understand.

When I look back on the more challenging times of my life, I realize I didn’t need a genie after all. I needed a God who was bigger than my imagination, stronger than my doubts, and faithful enough to lead me where I wouldn’t have gone on my own.

Question for reflection: Where in your life are you frustrated with God because He isn’t working on your terms, and how can you release that situation to trust His faithful character today?