Thoughts on Zephaniah 1
Zephaniah 1:14 NKJV
*The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out
Jeremiah 29:14 NKJV
“I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive”
A lot of questions arise in my heart as i ponder on today’s reading…..What is my idol? What is that thing that I prioritize over God and His kingdom? what things do i SET my affection on? What things am I PERMITTING to rob me of all that Christ through Grace delivered unto me? Will they be able to withstand the Day of the Lord, will they endure or will they all vanish without rewards when Christ shall appear?
Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV comes to mind here,……If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Our priority as children of God is to seek God first. Whatever else is needed , God personally guarantees they will be added to us (Matt 6:33).
In our chapter today, Zephaniah reminds us in verse 12, that the Lord Himself has beamed His searchlight on Judah, and is ready to punish all that have become complacent. He further gave clarity to what complacency means for a child of God…..those who say in their heart, the Lord will not good nor will He do evil.
Is this not the state many are today in the body of Christ, as they pursue other things at the expense of doing God’s Will? Sadly, verse 13 highlight the end result of such pursuits. May this never become our portion.
Indeed, the eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. (Prov 15:3). Let us not allow the state of things around us today to affect our hearts, or harden them to the voice of God, leading to complacency in prioritizing God.
He has promised that when we seek Him with all with all our hearts, we shall find Him.(Jer 29:13) More than before, this we must do. And so, no matter what things has taken our hearts captive, today presents a good opportunity to pull away from them and return to our first love, Christ, with whom we are raised to life when we sign up to be His own (Born – Again)
Judah heard all the words from Zephaniah but failed to take the necessary action, until the Day came upon them. May the Day of the Lord meet each and everyone of us prepared in Jesus name. Amen 🙏
