So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak,
the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s
people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies. (NLT)In the book of Zechariah, God’s message was given to get
the people to “listen up!” Zechariah (1:4) delivers the message
from God:
“Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets
proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your
evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay
attention to me, declares the Lord.”God talks to men and women in every generation through
His messengers, sometimes just to restore their hearing. Most
often He sends people with words to “fire them up,” to send
them out to do His work, or to get their lives back on track.
I am married to a modern-day messenger of God. He’s a
Christian counselor—and he’s a wise man. I don’t say that
boastfully. I say that after watching his life impact and improve
hundreds of people’s marriages and pastors’ ministries in the
three decades I’ve known him. I say that because I am
constantly approached by strangers who tell me how God
“spoke through Roger” and he said just the right thing that
saved their marriage, stopped them from making a mistake, or
helped them overcome an addiction.
God speaks through Christian counselors who will give you
biblical advice—words of truth—with such honesty that no
one else has the guts to speak them to you. (Maybe that is
why so few people want to visit with a counselor.)