Sweeter Than Honey: You Are Chosen, Redeemed, and Loved

What if we spent a few quiet moments with God each morning? What if we were intentional about making time for it? What if we committed to doing that all year long and by the year’s end we found that we had read the entire Bible!?

How many times, on January 1, have you committed to reading the Bible from cover to cover in a year? I have made that commitment too many times to count, and I have failed too many times to admit.

​A few years ago though, I used a one-year, chronological order of book authorship, Bible Reading Itinerary.

Did you know that Genesis was not the first book of the Bible written? While plans like this vary somewhat, because it is simply impossible to put an exact date on some books of the Bible, the plan I used begins with the book of Job.

Sweeter Than Honey is a 365-day devotional journey ​that leads the reader
​through God's Word ​in chronological order of book authorship.

PRE-ORDER THE SWEETER THAN HONEY KINDLE VERSION

Let me introduce you to Sweeter Than Honey, friend. It is patterned after that Bible Reading Itinerary.

On Tuesdays, now through the end of the year, I would love it if you and I could take a trip through Sweeter Than Honey together! I'd also like to encourage you to Join us over at the private, Sweeter Than Honey Facebook group and share your thoughts. You'll find like-minded, Christian friends there. Let’s do this! Come join us as we move through the book and God's Word together.

We're waiting for you!

Zechariah 1-3: You Are Chosen, Redeemed, and Loved

In Zechariah 3, we see the restoration of the church (3:1-5), and the promise of the Messiah (3:6-10).

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord Who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?’ Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ And to him he said, ‘Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.’ And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, ‘Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If you will walk in My ways and keep My charge, then you shall rule My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of Hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.’” (Zechariah 3:1-10)

I don’t know about you, but when I read about Joshua’s standing before the Lord, and Satan there to accuse him, it gives me chills! I am glad to know which side I’m on and that I have the Lord Jesus Christ to take up for me in Satan’s midst. I have much to be accused of, but the blood of Jesus has covered it all!

As a child of God, when you stand before the Lord, if Satan is there to accuse you, this is what your Father is prepared to say, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord Who has chosen ___________________ (<—put your name there) rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” God loves us just as He loves His people the Israelites and just as He loves His city Jerusalem. You are loved and you are chosen!

He will, one day in eternity, take away our filthy garments and exchange them with pure garments. He will remove our iniquity and make us pure. What does the Lord ask from us today? The same things He asked of Joshua the High Priest. “If you will walk in My ways…” (3:7). And then, Zechariah writes of the coming Messiah—the Branch. “…and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day” (3:9). That one day changed everything! That one day, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, covered our iniquity (sin) with the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary. God chose you, friend. He covered your sin. He invites you to come and remove your filthy garments in exchange for pure garments. You are chosen. You are redeemed. You are loved.

What passage of Scripture comes to mind when you think about being chosen, redeemed, and loved by God?

About Sweeter Than Honey

When I read God’s Word each morning, I find inspiration and insight that keeps my day on track. Join me on this journey. Let’s settle in with His Word—it’s His Love Letter to us. Did you know that? Let’s read it like a Love Letter, expecting to glean something for our walk with Him every day. Let’s look for peace in the chaos and strength for our weaknesses. Even on our busiest days we can carve out a few minutes to refocus on the important. Can’t we? We may have to get up a little earlier, when the house is still and quiet, or stay up a few minutes after the others are tucked in for the night, but we can do this! I know we can!

Let's be intentional about focusing on God’s Word and the truths found there. Let's let it inspire us to live out our faith each day in a way that causes those we come in contact with to want what we have found. God sees you. He knows you by name, He knows the number of hairs on your head, and He cares about every detail of your daily existence. He wrote you a Love Letter. Let’s dive in! ​

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