When God does not answer, it’s probably because I have not listened.

“As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts…

Zechariah 7:13

God has great mercy, but it does have its limits when His people deliberately choose to disobey Him. That’s the message God reminds the exiles to consider. The reason they were still in exile (though at this point in their history it would change soon), was because the nation repeatedly rejected God’s call to repentance that came mercifully through a multitude of messages from a variety of His prophets.

God reminds them through the prophet Zechariah that when they willfully choose not to listen to Him, He is not willing to hear their cries to Him. A consequence of continued disobedience to God’s Word is unanswered prayer. God is not selfish towards us, and He will not allow us to only think of Him when we, in a last resort, offer a half-hearted prayer. We don’t get to pick and choose our faithfulness.

Lord,

There are too many times when this warning to the exiles applies to me. I give lip service to loving You while in my heart I plan and I do exactly what I want in defiance of You. When that ends up disastrous (and it always does), I cry out to You. Knowing what You did with Israel, it should not surprise me if You choose to be silent!

Until I take my repentance to Jesus, turn from my wrong to follow Him again, I am living out of sorts with You. Please Lord, may Your Holy Spirit keep my heart soft so that I quickly repent, trust, and obey You through Christ. Lord, may I be quick to obey what You say in Your Word through the enabling of Your Spirit as You transform every part of me into conformity to Your Son to the glory of God the Father!

Amen