Scripture reference: Zechariah 8:11-17

The Old Testament prophets all proclaim of how God tells His people that he will bless them if they do what He wants them to do, and how He will punish them if they do what He tells them not to do. Blessings follow obedience, and punishment follows disobedience. It is God's way of assuring us that He will always keep his word, and is always just.

In this passage God declares that He is going to pour out his blessings of peace and prosperity on His people as a way of displaying to the rest of the world that He is a great God. He tells His people not to be afraid or discouraged for any reason. And He instructs them to get on with the business of re-building the temple. God promises that if they do this He will bless them.

Based on the idea given to us by Paul that we are the living temple of God, what does this message mean to us? It should have a physical, mental, and spiritual meaning. For, as a complete person, we are a sort of temple complex composed of three parts: body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, a complete temple rebuilding effort must include all aspects of God's living temple.

The rebuilding of the physical temple might include a change in diet and activities. It could be we have allowed God's temple to become weak and flabby. This is not a true representation of a great and mighty God. God's temple should be a reflection of His strength and greatness. It should be healthy and strong, just as God's grace toward His people is healthy and strong. It should be attractive and inviting, encouraging strangers to want to come close to God. God's temple should represent His awe inspiring appearance, His life sustaining healthiness, and his dependable strength.

God's temple should also be a place of knowledge and wisdom. It should be a place where people with questions and problems can go to with confidence that they will be able to receive sound, reliable answers and advice. This may mean that the living temple you are responsible for needs so upgrading. Maybe some time needs to be spend reading. Perhaps a seminar or retreat is in order. It could be attending a new class or subscribing to a new magazine will facilitate a rebuilding of your temple.

The temple of God is also a residence of His Holy Spirit. It is a place from which His Spirit can communicate with others. It is a tool that His Spirit can use to do His will. The temple of God should be a place which those seeking communion with and comfort from His Spirit can go to and find solace. This means spending a disciplined amount of time in communion with God through prayer and meditation on a regular basis. As a result of that relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will abide in His Temple, available and ready to minister to all who seek Him at His temple.

At the end of our reference passage God says, "OK. I have promised to do my part. Now, here is your part. Tell the truth. Be fair. Live at peace with everyone. Don't plot harm to others, don't swear that something is true when it isn't. How I hate all that sort of thing, says the Lord." (Zechariah 8:16-17 TLB) In other words, live the simple command Jesus gave us; "Love one another as He has loved us." That is our part in our relationship with God. And we can be assured that we will be blessed by doing our part. We can be equally assured that a lack of blessings will result from us not doing our part. For God always keeps His promises. The resurrection of Christ is proof of that.

May God bless you and guide you on your way. Amen.