Zechariah 8:1-23 - Two images stand out to me: the elderly and the young in the city, and the foreigners latching onto the robes of the Jews. The first is profound in that it speaks to the peace that Israel will enjoy. When there is warfare, the young and the old cannot hang out in the streets. But God will accomplish such a thing for Israel. The second is a powerful shift in thought for the Jews. Foreigners are no longer just a temptation for the Jews than causes them to follow other gods. Now the nations are eager to seek the Lord and will follow Israel to the place where God can be found.
2 Timothy 1:1-18 - Paul opens his letter to Timothy, a younger leader in the Church, with comfort and challenge. The challenge is to not be ashamed of the Gospel or of suffering for its sake. This is a challenge for us as well. We may be ashamed of the conflict that can arise at the name of Jesus. We may be ashamed at our own lack of knowledge. We may be ashamed by the circumstances or behavior of other Christians. Paul is reminding us not to have a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control. Our confidence is in Christ who did not avoid the shame of the cross for our sakes. That good news is our comfort. And that comfort is a gift from God by faith. As that faith has been passed down to us (verse 5), we know that God will pass it along to others through us.
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