Zechariah 8 Devotional

Impossible Only in Our Eyes

“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts.”Zechariah 8:6 (BSB)

One of the most tender promises in Zechariah 8 is also one of the most ordinary. Old men and women will sit in Jerusalem's streets again, leaning on their staffs, while boys and girls play around them (8:4-5). To the small remnant, that picture seemed impossible. God asks whether something too hard for them must also be too hard for him (8:6).

He will gather his people from east and west and be their faithful and righteous God (8:7-8). Having once resolved to bring disaster, he has now resolved to do good, so they need not be afraid (8:14-15). Their mourning fasts will become joyful feasts (8:19), and people from many nations will take hold of a Jew's robe, asking to go along because they have heard that God is with his people (8:23). In between, God calls them to speak truth and judge fairly (8:16-17). His goodness comes first, and their honesty follows. What looks impossible to you is not the limit of what God can do.

To think about: What situation in your life seems impossible right now, and what would it mean to ask whether it is too hard for God?