But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16.

Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming. 1 Peter 1:13.

This, Zechariah 3, is an amazing chapter because it shows us Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, is not our adversary. As we have seen throughout Scripture, we have troubles and problems in this present age and no one is immune. As surely as our planet revolves steadily in orbit, so too goes the rush of humanity to choose its own way as though God is far away and in being far away, is insignificant to our daily lives lived here and now. And then moments of real fear happen and we suffer because we’re not sure what we believe. And in those moments, let your heart cry out to Creator God. He knows. And you are loved with a love that will not fail or ever leave you. Listen to the vision God gave to Zechariah: Then He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then He said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by. The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to Me and keep My requirements, then you will govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here. Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring My Servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” v. 1-10.

There is a purpose in everything and Creator God has not forgotten us when trials of every kind touch us. When The Chosen depicted the raising of Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, the writers had also depicted a storyline that though it may not have happened to Thomas, has without question happened to all of us at one time. The death of someone we love deeply. It could easily be the not healing of sickness. It could be the not stopping of doubtings of faith. To whatever it is in whatever form, the writers showed something amazing. Jesus, the Son, stooping down, laying his hand on Thomas, telling him He knows he doesn’t understand now the Father’s or His choices, but Thomas, I’m asking you, don’t stop following Me, stay with Me. In time Thomas, and we, will understand fully. How can we understand everything in this life or the love of Creator God? It is beyond our ken. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:7-10. That promise has already been accomplished. And until Jesus returns to bring it to its final completion here, He offers us Himself as surely as He offered Himself to Thomas and to the disciples; and to Paul, yet to be, who wrote the words quoted above; and to us, yet to be, who would read those words and with the help of the Holy Spirit, would see God’s love as a beacon of hope for all of us. God’s love is not our love. He loves to completion. We turn away, we cause pain, we die…we can’t be what God is. Our God IS. You are loved by the God who IS and always WILL BE. He knows we don’t fully understand now the pains we suffer, but He gives us Himself and asks only that we trust Him. If all you can do is take His hand, that’s okay. Take His hand. He will do the rest.