Day 206 – Zephaniah: Climate of the times
“But the Lord is still in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail. But the wicked know no shame.” Zephaniah 3:5 NLT
Josiah was the last good king in Judah. His bold attempts to reform the nation and turn it back to God were probably influenced by the prophet Zephaniah. He served as prophet to Judah from 640 to 621 BC. His message was clear and to the point: a day will come when God, as Judge, will severely punish all nations living in sin. Laced with hope, Zephaniah’s message continues that after the terrible judgment, God will show mercy to all who have been faithful to Him.
This message is not only applicable to Judah and the surrounding nations. We will all be judged for our sins and disobedience to God. Idol worship is not an old-fashioned, Biblical thing to be taken lightly. In our modern times, people worship more idols than the true God. We should be cautious of where we focus our attention. Ask the Holy Spirit to point out any idols you might be placing above God.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your mercy and love. Show us the idols taking Your place in our lives and help us to walk away from them in repentance towards a righteous life and a path You laid out for us. Thank You for giving us these warnings so we can do introspection and search our hearts for anything not bringing glory and honour to You. Amen.
