Zechariah 8:13 Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
What are the three things you fear the most? What are the three things about which you are the most worried? Are you worried about anything? If you are not, you are unusual. The fact is we are worried many times because of our wealth, health, or because of some future plans of which we are uncertain.
God’s people were living in a day in Israel where Jerusalem was barren. It had been torn down and there was a remnant that was trying to rebuild what remained of Jerusalem. God is telling them what will come about. The bookends of Zechariah 8 are God’s return to Israel, “I… will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem,” and, looking to the distant future, “that God is with you.” So, everything in between the third verse and the last verse of Zechariah 8 is about God’s presence. And His message to those who were rebuilding the temple and Jerusalem is “work and don’t worry.”
In verse 9 He says, “Let your hands be strong.” In verse 13 He says, “Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” In verse 15 He says, “Fear ye not.” Now, there are three things that really trouble us. The first is what we don’t know. Not knowing is perhaps the greatest fear of all. When you were four years old, you didn’t know anything, but you didn’t know that you didn’t know so you didn’t worry as much. But now you know that you don’t know. That brings fear.
Second, even if we do know something, we don’t understand. That brings fear. For instance, I know that the universe is infinite. Space just keeps going on. And if nothing else, the immensity of the infinite is nerve-wracking to me. You think about eternity or anything that has no end, and it can be nerve-wracking because you can know something, but you don’t understand it. Of course, God created what we consider infinite, so even the infinite is created! And God is greater than that which He has created.
So, we fear what we don’t know, don’t understand, and finally what we are not able to take care of. Even if I know something and understand something, many times I am not up to the task. We are not capable.
Now, the good news is that God both knows and understands you, and God both understands you and is capable of doing what no one else can do. That is why when God is giving a vision of what Jerusalem will be, when both the young children and the old men and woman will be in safety, prosperity, and joy, the remnant’s response to that would have been, “There is no way!” Yet, God says, “Should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.” God is saying, “If it surprises you, if it seems to be big for you, is it big for me? No!”
In short, my capacity to worry is unlimited. As my knowledge grows, my ability grows, and my understanding grows, so do the things that are beyond each of those for me. But none of it is beyond the reach of God. My capacity to worry is unlimited, but so is my God and that is where I need to live this morning. God is with you.