March 25, 2021
I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our God, who created and formed us and who never ever forgets us. The blessed word that God has given for you, today is from the book of Zechariah 9:12, “Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope. For even today, I declare, that I will restore double to you. ”
From the above context we see that, this was a time when the Jewish people were sent into exile in Babylon. But after seventy years of exile, King Cyrus made it possible for the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem. These were painful years for the Israelites, because their city had been destroyed and they were captives in a foreign land. But the scripture says, that God’s word came to Zechariah the prophet, saying that if the people of God would repent of their wrong deeds and return to the Lord, then God will restore to them a double portion of blessing. This is what we read in the above context. The people of Israel were like prisoners of hope waiting for something good to happen after having been in exile in Babylon for seventy years.
In this world, you may have many hardships, struggles and debts, and diseases. Nevertheless our Lord Jesus Christ who is in the midst of us, can send just one word, and change all things in your life for the good of your life and not to do evil. Today the Lord is looking at you and saying, “Return to your fortress, for even now I will restore double to you.” I will not restore double tomorrow, but today, says the Lord. Those of you who are reading this message may be reading with a hope of gaining some comfort since you have been burdened much with struggles.
So “double” signifies anything large, sufficient, plentiful, particularly the grace; and double comfort from God, instead of distress and trouble experienced in the past. The burdens of this life might have been however distressing or you may be in an uncomfortable and distressed circumstances, God says, “I declare double” double grace, an abundance of it; which “I will render unto thee”; to everyone of the prisoners of hope, who turn to the strong hold Christ, in whom they will find a fullness of all grace, and shall receive out of it grace for grace; double grace, a large measure of it; double to what was received under the former dispensation.
Are you going through distress, in your family, continuously? Are you hearing only bad news from all corners in your family? You may be experiencing burdens after burdens, in your family. Famine upon famine, debt over debts and Disease after disease. By the time you manage to come out of one problem, the other hits upon you. And by the time you solve that problem the next is on your way, or a new one arises. Like the rivers of Jordan, many problems are piling up and coming towards you. Therefore My Lord is telling you, “Return to your Fortress, like prisoners of hope. “That is why the Psalmist says, “The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my deliverer, in whom I take refuge. My shield and the Horn of my Salvation, and my Stronghold.”The Lord was a Fortress to King David. So King David says, “The Lord Jesus Christ is My Fortress.”
King David says, that Jesus Christ is his shield and protector. Especially when he was surrounded by his foes, from all sides, he boldly says, “Lord You are my strength, You are my Fortress, You are my Strong hold, You are my Lord, who shows favour to me during the days, of trouble. This proclamation, of David, encourages those who wait upon Him. Especially those who, like the prisoners, with great hope wait for deliverance. The Lord is telling you to return to the Lord, from all your wicked ways especially from worshipping other gods and goddesses. Then the Lord, will restore double to you. Things that have been going bad, in your family until this day, will turn out to be good from today onwards. Therefore God in simple terms tells you that you need to return to your stronghold. He says, ”Oh Prisoners of hope, today I declare, that I will restore to you double.” To those of you who are waiting for a blessing from the Lord, like prisoners, of hope, God is reassuring you that He will grant you double portion of blessing. Since you have hope, and you have decided to turn to Lord God who is your Fortress and Your Stronghold. All your sorrows will come to an end. God will change your sorrows into joy. God Bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Father we thank You for reminding us to return to our Fortress. Help us to make You Lord God as our strong hold. Teach us to turn to the true and Living God instead of worshipping other gods so that we can receive double portion of blessing from You. May we give up all wrong ways of life and return to the strong hold Jesus Christ.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
