I happen to be a girl who likes lists. So when I was reading in the book of Zechariah the other morning, it came as no surprise that a little Old Testament list popped out at me like popcorn from hot oil. Let me share that little Zechariah verse with you.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, and do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor…” (Zechariah 7: 9-10)
The first thing I noticed in this little verse was the little list of people: the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, and the poor. Though tiny, this list represents a very large people group. These people represent the Forgotten, the Unloved, the Unseen, and the Strangers who walk among us.
The second list that I noticed is a list of action towards the unloved. This call-to-action list is also a little list; yet, it shows the mighty love of the LORD towards the Forgotten. This list represents an outpouring of God’s heart towards those considered less by the world. In it, God directs His people to give fair and true judgments, to show kindness and mercy, and not to oppress the Forgotten, the Unloved, the Stranger, and the Unseen.
Maybe you sometimes feel like the Forgotten. Maybe you are the one who is Unloved. Maybe you wish you were the one who was Unseen. Maybe you are the Stranger right now. Maybe you know someone who is.
Then, let the truth of these words soak into your soul like melted butter poured into hot popcorn:
To the Forgotten, God has not forgotten you.
To the Unloved, you are loved with an Everlasting Love by One who is Love.
To the Unseen one, the LORD sees you.
To the Stranger, you are well known by the One who knows your strangeness.
