9.22.2026 - Jody Duncan

September 22, 2026

God Builds his Church through Mercy

Zechariah 1:16

Our scripture passage today is Zechariah 1:16. Read the passage now or at the end of this devotion. Let it speak to you as you connect with God, the Father.

The Jewish exiles have just returned to Jerusalem from their Babylonian captivity when the prophet Zechariah delivers this message of hope. The passage refers to the physical temple that will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, but a reading between the lines also suggests a spiritual ‘house’ that will be rebuilt in God’s mercy.

God is making a promise to his people that after the hardships and suffering of exile, he will be merciful and loving toward them as they rebuild their temple and their lives. Jerusalem will be restored. The people will be restored.

One of my favorite television shows is called “Restored.” In it, home restoration expert Brett Waterman returns classic Victorian, Spanish and Craftsman homes to their original beauty. Ugly, stained carpeting is pulled up to reveal oak hardwood floors, which Brett and his crews then re-sand and refinish to their original glory. 1980s-style wallpaper is removed and replaced with era-appropriate painting and decorative details. Lighting fixtures from the 1990s are removed to make way for historic fixtures from the home’s past. To restore the beautiful wood trim around doorways and windows, Brett painstakingly peels away layers of paint that have been applied to the wood over the years.

There is something deeply satisfying about witnessing the transformation of a building ravaged by years of poor renovation choices and neglect into a classic, authentic, historically appropriate home.

It is a physical metaphor for redemption.

Through Brett’s efforts, the home as envisioned by its original architect and builder is resurrected. Brett is, of course, paid for those efforts; but watching him, one can tell that he restores these houses out of a deep love for them.

God restored his people out of his deep love for them. God restores US out of his deep love for us.

Through Jesus Christ, each of us may be restored to our original beauty – that is, restored to the vision God had for each of us when he created us. We are each made in God’s image to be a specific, unique creature. There is but one and ONLY one of each of us. At the very moment God created us, I believe, he had a vision for what we should and could be. When we are fulfilling that vision, when we are hitting the target God set up for us, we are joyful. When we sin – a word that literally means ‘missing the mark’ – we are full of pain and regret and shame.

God, through his mercy, rebuilt the physical and spiritual house of his people. When we give ourselves to Jesus, he rebuilds us. Gone is the ugly wallpaper and green shag carpeting of our souls. In their place is renewal and restoration. In their place is love, grace and an abiding joy.

Let us revel in our restoration today, made possible through God’s mercy and the grace of Jesus Christ.