The Hope Of His Zeal

We have been in full Christmas mode over here over the last week. All of our college kids are home, I have hit the wall with homeschool work, most of the children’s classes have made it to the halfway point of the year, and we are enjoying slow mornings and playful days this week. 

This slower pace has allowed me to sit a little longer and quiet myself with His word. I have needed this time. The longer I mother, the more I realize the necessity of sitting with Him to reset and realign my thinking. 

We celebrated a gala this week. Complete with triangle sandwiches, desserts, punch, and all the decorations we celebrated the Christmas season with dancing and fun. But all of the momentum of the gala, all of the planning, all of the list making, all of this was pursued by my 7 year old party planner. She sent out invitations, made a list of what she needed for decorations, planned the songs that would play, the food we would enjoy, the drinks. All the different moments that comprised this evening, she crafted and planned. 

And it was an amazing evening! We all came in our Sunday attire and had a blast! We left feeling special, wanting more, and full of love for one another. 

Later, I was selecting Scripture passages for each child to memorize this year as part of our Christmas traditions (I shared about this actually in this week’s podcast episode). I was reading through Isaiah 9:1-7 as a potential passage. As I reread this passage, I froze over this phrase, “the zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” I began to study the word zeal, taking it apart, turning it over, trying to understand the depths and layers of a word that holds weight in Isaiah 9:7. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 

What does zeal truly mean? How does it look in this moment in time, at the end of the longest year ever, and what does this sentence promise me? I’m a bit of a word nerd, so I will find a new word and begin to apply it. As I studied the definitions of zeal, God highlighted Caraline to me. She is full of zeal. She planned and organized her gala for over a week, sending me to the store with lists and instructing everyone on what to wear.

Zeal means a passionate commitment, unflagging pursuit of an aim, intense devotion to a cause with jealousy and ardor. Caraline zealously planned her party. The LORD of hosts, the mighty Warrior in battle, is zealous in His purposes toward mankind. He is laser focused through history, moving and orchestrating in big and little ways to declare His justice and righteousness. 

 He is not tepid towards you and me; He doesn’t hold back in dismissive apathy. He passionately fulfills His commitment to us. Many days I feel dismissed. I believe He is not at work because I cannot see evidence - my children are struggling, my faith is flagging, discouragement abounds, and doubt begins to prevail. I’ll cling to the hope that He is doing something, and if I’m fully transparent, I hope it includes my kids, my family, my home. But I’m wondering rather than confident. Feelings are often deceitful. Worry likes to lock arms with doubt and undo my confidence and trust. Do you ever wonder if God is at work? Do you ever look around and ask yourself, Where are you, God? What are you doing right now and why aren’t you fixing this or changing that?

 I needed this nudge, this promise, that His zeal anchors His promises to you and me. I needed to realign my thinking once again, standing in the promise of this verse, clinging to the truth that the Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace pours forth His love coupled with righteousness, grace gripped holiness, that you and I may be set free. He is at work calling us out of darkness, rescuing us from the trappings of sin, fear and doubt, redeeming us, and making us new. His passionate ardor is for our hearts to be connected with His, for our children to know Him and trust Him, for all things to be made new, and all those in darkness to walk in His light. 

For He is planning a party like no other; a gala to eclipse all galas! When He returns to swing wide the doors of the banquet room, the feasting and dancing will be awesome! Our clothes will be gleaming in His righteousness. Joy will burst forth as song, and worship will be our language as we gather with Him in His name at His table. And our Jehovah Sabaoth, the LORD of hosts, is a zealous party planner. He has been gathering and orchestrating all that must be done to welcome us into His glory, for His name sake. He won’t stop until it is complete. We can trust His promise.