Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
The descriptors in this section are pretty terrifying: strike, scattered, struck down, perish, put in the fire. This is not a good time. This is, rather literally, a hellish description.
Zechariah 13:8 In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.
But take a moment to read verse 9, split up here into a & b. At the end of all the trials, the people are purified, cleansed, and claimed. “They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
Zechariah 13:9a This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.
Lord, There is so very much in this life that I do not understand, but one thing that I know for sure is that You can draw us closer to You through life’s trials. Thank You for loving me, for claiming me, for drawing me closer. In a world that often makes no sense, help me hold tight to the truth I can always count on: You are sovereign, loving, and merciful. Thank You. Amen.
Zechariah 13:9b They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
Have a blessed day.