Contemplative Bible Reading

Zechariah 8:19 (New Living Translation)

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.

God is speaking to the people through the prophet. The future will be different for them. At this time, though, God tells them what to love:

Truth.

Peace.

Sort of abstract concepts, huh? Couldn’t we have some specifics? Something concrete or precise?

God always goes back to basics. God leaves it up to us to fill in much of the detail as long as the detail agrees with His basics. Too often, we (I) drift away from His basics as we (I) extrapolate the specifics. “If you love the truth, you’ll agree with me because I speak the truth!” I claim from time to time when I am speaking my opinion that is convenient at the time.

Please God, guide us (me) in loving Truth and Peace.