December 21

Today's Reading

Zechariah. We are almost to the end! This first chapter of Zechariah seems to give an interesting nuance of the way God's purposes work. God had allowed pagan nations to overcome Judah. This judgment was because of Judah's great sin; God removed His protection and allowed the evil to happen. However, the pagan nations went much farther than they should have and God would not judge them. Could He have stopped them from overdoing it? Of course! But He also could have stopped Judah from sinning. To do either would have been a violation of His creation of humans in His own image. Being in His image means that we must have a choice and live with the consequences of that choice.

Revelation. This chapter speaks both symbolically and literally, I believe. Satan is symbolized (clearly) by the dragon. The stars are symbolic of the angels who joined Lucifer in their heavenly rebellion and were cast out. The seven heads with ten horns likely stands for the world system; in that day it was Rome. The woman may mean Mary or Israel or the Church or all three. The conflict depicted here is real and ongoing.

Psalms. Sometimes life seems so easy and we can be thankful for rest. Sometimes, though, we realize what a battle we are in. That's when we experience just how much we need God to come to our aid!

Proverbs. Do you get the idea that God really wants us to honor our parents?

What is speaking to you today?