Zechariah 1:3 (NKJV)
3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah had returned from Babylon to Judah and preached to the Children of Israel about the returning to a relationship with the Lord. They were supposed to rebuild the temple but progress had halted for about ten years. Things were not going so well for them. They were in captivity for 70 years in Babylon but King Darius allowed them to go back home. God had said He would gather His people from all the nations of the world and He did. His promises always come true. (Jeremiah 29:11)
The people had wandered away from God and His ways. They worshiped idols and took on the customs of the other people around them. Therefore, God allowed the Babylonians to conquer Israel and take the people of Israel captive and deport them to Babylon. God tells us to follow His ways and all will go well with us. When we choose our own path, bad things happen. If we stray, God will allow us to suffer the consequences. When we repent from that sin, He will redeem us. He is always close by should we decide we want to walk with Him. He will extend His hand and lead us in His ways.
My friend Mark has an interesting way of explaining this phenomenon. Mark says when you stand up and decide how you are going to handle a situation; God sits down and lets you take it; consequences and all. When you figure out that it is beyond you and sit down (sometimes in defeat), God stands up and says “I’ve got this!” Who do you think can handle things better? Why not ask for guidance from the beginning and listen to what the Holy Spirit tells you? If you walk in God’s ways, He will say “I’ve got this!” When you stray and realize you aren’t going the right way, call out to Him. He hears you. He is there waiting. He loves you and will take care of you. He always does. Return to Him and He will return to you! Better yet, why not walk with Him always. That way, you won’t need to return. And your path will be a lot smoother.
Father God, we admit that we tend to stray. You have blessed us with so many talents that we begin to think we can do things on our own. We tend to forget about Your ways. By Your Spirit, remind us of our need to work with You to accomplish the great things You have ordained for us. Lead us in Your ways which will take us to our destiny. In your name we pray! Amen!