Malachi 2

You have wearied the Lord with your words;
Yet you say,
“In what way have we wearied Him?”
In that you say,
“Everyone who does evil
Is good in the sight of the Lord,
And He delights in them,”
Or, “Where is the God of justice?”  v.17

Read chapter 2

Really?  Everyone who does evil is good in God's eyes?  Of course not, yet that's what the people during the days of Malachi were saying.   The men during this time no longer saw the seriousness of the marriage covenant and were divorcing their wives for no real reason yet they knew God hates divorce (v.16).  As well they were saying that since they don't see the God of justice and have been left in charge, then why not do what they please.  
These questions and thoughts are just as common today too.  This is not just nonbelievers I'm talking about here.  Things like abortion, sex outside of marriage, smoking pot are fine and morally right in the sight of the Lord.  
Evil seems to prevail and when one wonders why God doesn't seem to do anything about it, the presume therefor that the Lord thinks doing evil is fine or that they'll handle matters of justice in their own hands.  Yet the Lord hears, sees and knows all.  These actions and thoughts of complacency have wearied the Lord. 
How do you seen this unfortunately be true today? Where have you been complacent or disillusioned by sin?

Malachi 1

You offer defiled food on My altar,
But say,
‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying,
‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’
8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts. vv.7-8

Read chapter 1
Religion vs. Relationship.  God knows the difference in our hearts in acts that are out of either of these two mindsets or rather "heartsets."
Malachi is a prophet to Israel after the captivity.  His name means "My Messenger."  We read of five different messengers in this short book of Malachi: Malachi, a true priest (2:7), John the Baptist (3:1), the Messiah (3:1-3), and Elijah (4:5).  We can see in all these messengers that the people killed the messenger because of the message which goes against the saying "don't shoot the messenger." 
The people of Israel are back in their land and starting new again in creating a living and following and upholding the law.  Yet the Lord sees that they have treated Him as a checklist, a have to, rather than a desire and want to.  There was no spirit of giving when they came to the altar of God for offering sacrifices, what they gave was their sick and lame of their flocks.  Their mindset was more of "killing two birds with one stone;" they would offer to the Lord to mark that off their good deeds checklist while at the same time getting rid of the weak to better their flock.  Yet they were not even thinking of God on the other end of these sacrifices.  He calls them out saying would they give that way to their governor, for of course they wouldn't wanting to please the men in that status.  They had fallen into religion and not relationship.  And this is still so true of believers today.  They've created a religion out of Christianity rather than a relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is not following certain rules that makes God pleased with us, He wants our hearts more than our sacrifices.  We ought to remember who's on the other side of this relationship and work to build that relationship as we would with our spouse or best friend because we love them and want to not because we have to or need to prove something to others.
Is your belief in God a religion or a relationship?  In what ways do you fall into a checklist of religion?  How do you build your relationship with Jesus?  May you seek Jesus and not a religion!

Zechariah 14

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south. v.4

Read chapter 14
This chapter is all still of time yet to come the first half of the day of the Lord in the end of the tribulation time and the second half ending this book with life in the New Heavens and New Earth.  This first part seems like an intense action movie.  God's described as standing on top of a mountain and it splitting in two to make a path in a valley for Israel to flee from the antichrist as we see commanded in Matthew 24 of the tribulation time, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." (vv.15-16).
I guess if God can split the Red Sea why not split a  mountain?  Plus we also know that Christ will return to the same place He was taken up as we read in Acts 1 of His ascension, "“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (v.11).  They were in (or around) Jerusalem which the Mount of Olives was near.
This is Christ's second coming, but this is not what we are waiting for as to what's next in God's order of events for many things must still take place before this event.  
The command to flee to the mountains is for the Jews living in Jerusalem in this future time, but oh how we wish today that God would open up a mountain for us to hide in from our enemies.  

Zechariah 13

“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.  “It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. vv.1-2

Read chapter 13
Have you ever wondered what are memory will be like in heaven?  If we will remember this life and all that is in it?  Well we cant say for sure exactly what we will and wont remember, but here Zechariah says that the names of the idols will no longer be remembered in that future day.  So does that mean they'll have a different name then?  Bible teacher Nathan Johnson describes this verse:

The Baals and other idols are not remembered by their names.  One’s name has to do with the reputation one has, or the esteem in which others hold one.  If the idols are no longer remembered by their names, this means that they are no longer remembered by their reputations as powerful gods, but rather they are remembered as false gods, empty images, and worthless deceptions.  They do dwell in memory, but only as this, and not by the reputations they once had.  That is how their names are no longer remembered. (to read the whole article check out Remembrance in the Afterlife)

 What we do remember is that Christ is the living water and that out of Him flows rivers of life.  Verse one describes how this fountain is flowing out of Jerusalem which is where Christ's throne is referring to flowing out of Him.  From Him flows forgiveness of sin and cleanses us both that is true of today and of that future fountain that never stops bubbling up.  It's not of ourselves that we get this drink but of going to Him, Jesus Christ, to take a drink.  “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
Are you drinking from the Well of Life today?  What image of this fountain do you picture as Christ in the future?  What are you afraid to forget or afraid to remember?

Zechariah 12

In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. v.6

Read chapter 12
This chapter speaks of a still future time, the time of tribulation and the Day of the Lord.  We can tell this due to the fact that it's not speaking of Jerusalem's destruction before captivity for Zechariah was a prophet after captivity when they were back in their land. There is the fulfillment of verse ten speaking of Christ's crucifixion "whom they had pierced" but that verse is speaking of looking back at that time in mournful regret, so again future from Christ's earthly ministry.   In verse six here we read of the leaders killing the rebels and fighting back for Jerusalem being used by the Lord in this.  We see this in Joel 3:9-11 as Jerusalem being the Lord's threshing sledge after a time of no wars or the righteous fighting the wicked, 
Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for war!
Wake up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near,
Let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’”
11 Assemble and come, all you nations,
And gather together all around.
Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.

This seems like a final destruction and clean up of the wicked that those in Judah will do by the hand of the Lord.  Even today the city of Jerusalem is a core issue in Israeli and Palestinian wars, it is not the inhabited place that God says it will be yet, but its future has hope and promises.  What are your views and understanding of Jerusalem today in regards to God's holy city?  

Zechariah 11

So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. v.7

Read chapter 11
This was a difficult chapter for me to understand.  I read it over and over again probably twenty times just try to grasp what's going on as well as reading some commentaries on it. We have an image here of bad shepherds of their flock.  They're said to be bad because they feed the flock to slaughter them and feel no guilt.  I thought that was what all farmers had to be like, to not get attached to the animals because they're raising them for food for people?   But of course this is imagery of God's people who are not just created on this earth to be slaughtered but for God's glory.  Zechariah becomes the good shepherd to the flock and doing away with the bad shepherds.  He still feeds the flock for slaughter like the bad shepherds but he also pays particular attention to the poor of the flock.  We can see Zechariah as a type of Christ, the Good Shepherd.  
Typically a shepherd only has one staff yet in older times many had two (one staff with a hook for pulling straying sheep close and one rod for counting and separating them). Zechariah has two staffs that he names Beauty and Bonds.  Beauty to represent the covenant the Lord made with all the peoples (v.10 ) and Bonds to represent the special union and brotherhood between Judah and Israel (v.14).  Yet both these rods were broken by the people as Zechariah portrays in breaking both staffs.  There will be another bad shepherd that will raise up to torture and destroy the flock, which could be referring to the antichrist in the tribulation.
Nothing destroys relationships more than breaking a brotherhood among friends and family, as we seek the brotherhood of Israel causing a ruined relationship with one another and ultimately with God.  So also we see broken brotherhoods or sisterhoods that have had ripple effects on relationship with so many other peoples, groups, and with Jesus Christ.  How have you seen a broken brotherhood cause destruction in various ways?  How have you seen a unified brotherhood flourish?

Zechariah 10

Ask the Lord for rain
In the time of the latter rain.
The Lord will make flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone. v.1

Read chapter 10
To ask the Lord for rain in the spring time doesn't seem like asking for much, for isn't there always rain in the spring?  Spring time was what were called the latter rains, the rains that came after the spring harvest to get them through the drought of summer and brought the corn to the ear (the former rain fell at the seed time in autumn).  If either rain time failed it was bad, for the land.  What seemed to be happening was the people weren't going to the Lord for praise, thankfulness or prayer for something they assumed would happen in the law as of nature rather than relying on God who has the power to stop and start the rain.  He created the law of nature for He is a God of order and not of disorder (1 Cor. 14:33).  They weren't to pray to the clouds for reign for He too makes the clouds.  The mundane and the "natural" or normal ways of things are all still under the control of God.  Ought we not to take for granted the schedule of creation that sustains not just the earth but all animals, plants and men in it of which we all rely.    God's directing the Jews to ask for rain in a time its used to come.  So we in our prayer ought to ask the Lord for things in their season or proper times.  Not that He can't do things out of season, for He does, but being thankful for seasonal mercies to rely on.  How thankful we are for season fo rain in our life to get us through season fo drought.  What "rain" are you expecting and asking of the Lord in this season you're in?

Zechariah 9

Return to the stronghold,
You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore double to you. v.12

Read chapter 9
Israel at this time was set free from captivity and able to return to their land, yet many were still living as prisoners or in a foreign land; tied to the ways and affairs of life they had been living in for so long and waiting for a break or a return to their land.  They were prisoners of hope or prisoners of expectation.  Expectation of the promises of God to come and save them.  Zechariah, and other prophets, proclaimed that their king was coming to save them and set them free, now for them not just from captivity but from bondage of this fallen world.  Jehovah is to be the strong hold the return to. Jesus Christ was their long waited Messiah coming first with salvation and second time to reign as king over all the earth. As Zechariah gives them hope in verses 9-10:
"Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.'"
They will receive double portion of blessing; like we read of Job (Job chapter 42).  In their most prosperous state they knew they will receive double blessings of that in time to come. Is that not worth running to and returning to the Lord?!
How do you feel and relate to being a prisoner of hope today?

Zechariah 8

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” v.23

Read chapter 8
The first time I read this I thought what a funny picture.  In my mind it looks as a Jewish man with ten men holding on to his robe like children on their mother as they travel to Jerusalem.   This could be literal or a metaphor of what's actually happening at this time. 
This verse (and most of this chapter) is foreshadowing the Kingdom to come still as we read of the Lord's returning to dwell among them again (v.3), of the streets of the once destructed city of Jerusalem filled again with old men and women, boys and girls, feasts of joy and gladness in stead of fasts of mourning and unfulfilled longing.  And the other thing mentioned of this foreshadow of the kingdom is that other nations will be there!  Not just Jews but men from all nations will humble and honor the Lord.  In the New Testament when gentiles started believing in Jesus Christ and becoming coheirs of God's blessings, this was no new surprise to the Jews for if they knew the scriptures they would know that the nations would inherit the kingdom as well.  
When the Kingdom is here on earth Jerusalem will be like the capitol of the world where God's seat of government is, kinda like Washington DC is the seat of government for the USA.  For in verse three we read, 
Thus says the Lord:

‘I will return to Zion,
And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,
The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,
The Holy Mountain.’

So it seems in the kingdom if one wants to go to Jerusalem to meet with Jesus that they have to go with a Jewish person, perhaps this is a picture of all nations humbling themselves not only to God but to the Jewish nations that has been a often maligned people for almost all time.
Praise the Lord we who believe from whatever nation we come from that we may God to Him with access and boldness and inherit the Kingdom!  How do you picture the Kingdom of all nations there?  Of the Jewish nation as God's chosen people positioned?

Zechariah 7

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?  When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?  vv.4-6

Read chapter 7

Outward religion without inward reality leads to spiritual sclerosis. 

(Steven J. Cole, 2003, www.bible.org)

Now that the Jews are no longer in captivity they have questions about what ordinances they should still uphold.  The come to ask Zechariah if they should continue fasting now that their back from exile.  Yet the Lord's response through Zechariah really seems to call them out of these petty questions they're asking as if they're doing it to be patriotic or religious and not really having learned from their fathers disobedience which led to their captivity.  Zechariah didn't want this next generation to fall into the same ways as their fathers, but some signs of that were beginning to show.  Zechariah recaps what the prophets were saying to Israel that they choose to harden their heart towards and this was to 
"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother." (vv.9-10)
 What petty or meaningless things do you focus on in the name of spirituality rather than on a heart for God?  Ask yourself why you do what you do when it comes to activity for God?

Zechariah 6

Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. v.11

Read chapter 6
Joshua was high priest at this time of the return from captivity.  He is personified as a type of Christ who is the Highest Priest.  Here Zechariah is to make an elaborate crown to put on Joshua.  This was unusual because priests were never crowned, only kings were.  Yet Zechariah is to place an elaborate crown of silver and gold on Joshua and tell of the One who is to come. This one is called the Branch for He will branch out and build the temple of the Lord and sit as both king and priest on the throne.  This is none other than Jesus Christ. Who is God in the flesh.  The only one who is both king and priest.
The temple was rebuilt after the captivity at this point in history, but the temple that is spoken of here is still future and will be built in the coming Kingdom, not by hands of man but by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  When Jesus came in his first coming we did not see him as king and priest, but we will soon as we wait for Him to return and take this place Zechariah portrays for us here.  This was not a sign that Joshua was to become king as well as priest but was for a memorial in the temple of the promised future.  It was a symbol for all to continue in God's work now for the blessings that will come later.
What does Jesus reigning as both priest and king mean to you?  

Zechariah 5

then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. vv.8-9

Read chapter 5
A flying scroll and a woman in a basket.  These two images in this chapter are hard to fully understand.  Both images are ones we read of in the book of Revelation as well.  There is the scroll with seven seals of wrath that is poured out on the wicked in the earth in chapters five through eight.  In verses 1-4 here it says this scroll is a curse that goes over the whole earth.  We also read of a woman in Revelation chapter 17 sitting on a beast with a name on her forehead saying "Mystery, Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth."  Here in Zechariah this woman in the basket is called wickedness and brought to Shinar, which is Babylon (v.11), and will be open at the proper time.  These connections lead us believe these images in the two different books are the same events that will happen in this future time of the Day of the Lord.
So why is Zechariah getting to see this vision and tell the Jews this after just having returned from exile under Babylon?  I believe it's part because of all the wickedness that had corrupted them for the 70 years they were under Babylon's influence and God is showing through this vision His authority over evil having the power to remove it from them as He will in that future time when Babylon will seem to reign and control again, so they are to be aware and remember these things.
What wickedness have you experienced that is no more in your life but you are aware of signs or influences that could cause its return? (I.e drugs and alcohol influence, flirting with someone other than your spouse, over indulgence of something)

Zechariah 4

Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lamp stand and at its left?” And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?  Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.” vv.11-14

Read chapter 4
After Zechariah had seen a vision of Joshua the High priest in chapter three and then here of a vision of olive trees and lamp stands with Zerubbabel, Zechariah asks what the significance of all this.  So the Lord plainly answers that these are the two anointed ones who stand beside Him.  Now what does that mean?  Well I believe this could be speaking of the two witnesses in Revelation chapter eleven.  There it describes the witness very similar to the vision Zechariah sees here.  Revelation 11:3-6, "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.  And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire."

What a great privilege these two men receive to be named the two witnesses in the Day of the Lord.  We all can and ought to live as witnesses of the Lord in this day of evil we are living in for He has privileged us with the seal of the Holy Spirit.  

Zechariah 3

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.  Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” vv.3-4

Read chapter 3
Interesting scene here.  The Lord, Satan, and Joshua the High Priest are all standing in a room or area together, almost like a court scene seems like.  Joshua, who was the high priest at this time of the return from captivity in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, is pictured here dressed in filthy clothes.  But in this scene the Lord is fighting for Joshua against Satan and rebukes him.  At this the Lord then commands that Joshua's filthy garments be taken off and given rich robes to be clothed with instead.  This the Lord does as His picture of removing Joshua's iniquity, his sins.  Yes even as a high priest Joshua was sinful.  And this picture is true of us of our sins taken away and we become clothed in righteousness.  As Isaiah 64:6 describes this same picture: 

"But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade as a leaf,

And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away."

Those who belong to Christ, will find him ready to appear for them, when Satan appears most strongly against them. A converted soul is a brand plucked out of the fire by a miracle of free grace, therefore shall not be left a prey to Satan (Matthew Henry's Commentary). 
How do you see yourself clothed?  In rags or riches?

Zechariah 2

“Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.  For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’” vv.4-5

Read chapter 2
I lived in the middle of nowhere for five years where we didn't lock our cars or our homes.  No one would even want to drive the long bumpy road just to break in and cause evil, yet there were still fears within me of someone coming to kidnap or murder me.  Even though I lived in probably one of the safest places on earth there is still the possibility of evil.
We continue to read of Zechariah's vision and here starts off seeing an angel with a measuring line to measure Jerusalem.  This is of course the future New Jerusalem that still is yet to come.  Yet I wonder how hard it will be to measure this city as we read that it will be without walls because of the multitude of people.  Now we don't have walls around our cities today, though Trump is trying to build a wall on the boarder with Mexico, but walls were a cities protection and defense against enemy attacks.  But in this future day there will be no enemies so no need for walls.  And even if someone knows there's no enemies trying to break in (like me) one still wants to feel secure by a protection, so the Lord says He will be a wall of fire around Jerusalem, just like He was the pillar of fire in the exodus that led the Israelites.  Yet not only will God be around Jerusalem and His people as a protector but He will be the glory in her midst.  John Piper comments, "God is never content to give us the protection of his fire; he will give us the pleasure of his presence"(Desiringgod.com).  As we still wait for that future day of the New Jerusalem, the New Heaven and New Earth, how can you live and celebrate God's glory in your midst today? 

Zechariah 1

I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white.  Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” vv.8-9

Read chapter 1
The book of Zechariah we'll discover has a lot of parallels with the book of Revelation.  Starting off in this first chapter for example Zechariah sees in a vision three horses of different colors: red, sorrel (washed out yellowish color) and white and in Revelation 6 we see John's vision of different color horses (red, white, black and pale) carrying the seals of judgment.  Zechariah is assumed to be the last book written in the Old Testament (though it is the second to last book in the order we have in our Bibles) because it has recorded the latest date until Jesus' birth beginning the New Testament.  We may even assume this when Jesus references the prophet Zechariah in referring to the first death of Able to the shed blood of Zechariah summing up all those of the Old Testament prophets and wise men from the first to the last: 

Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,  that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  (Matthew 23:34-35)

We see in this record also from Matthew how Zechariah dies, a martyr's death, though we don't have that recorded here in the book of Zechariah.  Just like John's vision of the future, so Zechariah's vision of the future and His communion with Jehovah caused him to live and die for Christ.  You may have not had a revelation of the future like John or Zechariah, but we have their revelations written for us that we may believe and know.  Have you experienced and grasped the Lord's truth to cause you to live for Christ no matter what?  

Haggai 2

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.  vv.6-7

Read chapter 2
The Jews have at this point just finished the rebuilding of the temple, yet they realize it is not as magnificent as it was before when Solomon first built it.  Yet the Lord is pleased with their hearts and desire directed to serving Him more than what they were able to do with their hands.  He encourages them with the promise that He will once more fill the temple with His glory, yet this is still waiting to come.  Once and for good the Lord will shake heaven and earth, sea and land, all nations that all will know the One True God.  He mentions this will be in a little while, yet to us over 2,500 years doesn't quite seem like a short time while we're still waiting.  Even if this meant for when Jesus became man that was still about 500 years after this prophesy.  Yet compared to eternity it will seem as nothing.
Notice this unique title of God: Desire of All Nations.  Christ is the longing of all nations whether they realize it now or not, they will when He is manifest to the world.  He will be the joy every longing heart seeks for.
Are you letting Christ fill the desires of your heart or do you have an unfulfilled longing that you're trying to gratify in other ways?

Haggai 1

“You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” v.6 

Read chapter 1
Consider your ways!  That's the exclamation that God starts off with through the prophet Haggai.  Haggai was the first prophet by whom God spoke after Israel's return from Babylon captivity.  Remember that the Israelites had been in captivity for 70 years.  They have now returned to their land but their priorities are not in the right place.  The temple that was destroyed and to be rebuilt was still sitting in ruins while they were focusing more on their own homes and lifestyle.  You can imagine that after being in captivity and finally returning home felt like freedom and a chance to do their own thing, but this led to selfishness and misplaced priorities.  As they worked for themselves and not for God their seemed to be little bang for their buck.  They were never satisfied even with food or drink always feeling an emptiness that couldn't be filled.  All the money they earned just seemed to go right down the drain.  You could say they felt like they lived in perpetual frustration and discontentment.  Sound familiar?  All their time was spent on trying to get ahead in this world, on seeking comfort and status in this world rather than on seeking God and His priorities, and this is true of so many believers of Christ today too.
How does this verse reign true in your life today?  How can you reprioritize to be glorifying to God whatever you do that that emptiness you feel may be full?

Zephaniah 3

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” vv.16-17

Read chapter 3
You don't always have to be the strong one.  Zion (Jerusalem) is told to let her hands be weak, to stop all the work that her hands do and humble herself and just be in God's presence.  God was in their midst and this ought to make anyone stop and worship.  Often when we believers focus on God in our midst we see singing, dancing, shouting.  We often hear of how much people love certain worship songs at church that they can really rejoice for the Lord.  But look at what this verse says here: HE will rejoice OVER YOU with SINGING.  God's also the one that loves to sing and dance rejoicing in you too!  He will rejoice over Israel even after all the idolatry and sin they committed against Him, and so He will to you too no matter your struggle or your sin.  We see Jesus sing with His disciples a hymn (Mark 14:26), makes me wonder what that would've been like to sing with the one to whom our worship is for?  Oh that soon His silence would be broken and He would sing over each one of His people!
How can you let your hands be weak today and grasp God in your midst, be confident He will save, trust in the Lord's joy over you, be quieted by His love, and rest being sung to by your heavenly Father?  

Zephaniah 2

The Lord will be awesome to them,
For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
People shall worship Him,
Each one from his place,
Indeed all the shores of the nations. v.11

Read chapter 2
"Totally awesome dude!" Sounds like a surfer right?  The word awesome today can be so overused to loose it's impact.  We hear someone got engaged and we say-"awesome;" a little boy just learned to ride his bike- "awesome;" we taste a new food dish- "awesome."  The word awesome appears throughout the scriptures but not always a light hearted use that we use the word today.  The word awesome here in Zephaniah is actually the Hebrew word for terrible or fear.  It's a fear of reverence, to show respect or awe of something, to be righteous in behavior.  
Here in Zephaniah the Lord is speaking to the nations of Ammon and Moab, the two nations that came from the incest of Lot and his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  God's going to show Himself awesome to them by destroying their gods.   He will be awesome to them because He will destroy all the gods of the earth and that He alone is to be worshiped.  Just as this work of His destruction of the idols of the nations cause them to be full of awe, so the greatest terrible work of God of the crucifixion of His Son to save the world ought to cause us to stand in awe at our Awesome God.
Just think of the song "Awesome God" by Rich Mullins if he would have used the word terrible instead.  I don't think it would have been as great of a hit if he did.

Zephaniah 1

“And it shall come to pass at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And punish the men
Who are settled in complacency,
Who say in their heart,
‘The Lord will not do good,
Nor will He do evil.’ v.12

Read chapter 1
The book of Zephaniah is the words of the Lord through His prophet Zephaniah during the days of King Josiah. This first chapter starts off strong with God's judgment and destruction to come upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their idolatry and neglect of the Lord God.  The people said in their hearts that Jehovah will not do good or evil, they've become complacent and arrogant of the wicked.  

Those that think to divide their affections and worship between God and idols, will come short of acceptance with God; for what communion can there be between light and darkness? If Satan have half, he will have all; if the Lord have but half, he will have none. Neglect of God shows impiety and contempt. (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)

Zephaniah's name means "Hidden of Jehovah" or in other words treasured, sheltered or protected by Jehovah.  Oh what a sweet significance of his name, especially to be true of when he had to prophesy hard to hear things where people would have sought his death because they didn't like the message.  Back then the meaning of names was like a prophesy and truth to their character.  Today names don't have the same weight but we who are in Christ can all take on the name and meaning of Zephaniah for we are God's treasure and are hidden with Christ in God as Colossians 3:3-4 says, "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
Take hope of the fact that you're hidden in Christ as a valued treasure of His and that you will appear with Him in glory soon.  Until then let us not grow arrogant and complacent of the wicked, but be 100% in for Christ.