The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Zephaniah 1-3
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 7: Kings and Prophets: The southern kingdom as God’s people
Background Information: Zephaniah 1-3
Zephaniah lived and ministered during the final decades of the Southern Kingdom, Judah. He was the great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah. King Josiah had brought about some reforms, but the country was too far gone at this point. Judgment was coming, and it was going to be complete and terrible. He uses apocalyptic (world-ending) language to describe the Babylonian assault and captivity. His book is a collection of poetry summarizing his message of warning and future hope that he had preached for years. God gave his people many prophets, like Zephaniah, who told the truth, and remarkably, he ensured that their words (his word) were preserved for all time. It would have been a tough job to know what was coming and yet to be called to continually proclaim the need for repentance. We might think that we would like to know the future, but when the future is dark, it would be a terrible knowledge to have. What kept these prophets going was that God also gave them knowledge of future hope on the other side of judgment. These prophets were not the only ones who remained true to God in the dark times. There was a remnant, a small and faithful group among the larger nation, who kept the faith. The sad truth is that the faithful suffer along with the unfaithful when judgment comes on sin. The unfaithful and the faithful alike were going to be caught up in the coming storm that was the Babylonian horde. As you read this world-ending language, you must remember that this is poetry describing terrible human suffering. It is not over exaggeration. If you lived in a country where a terrible enemy had conquered and destroyed all that you knew, it would certainly feel like the end of the world. As a brutal army tore down your capital, destroyed your church, burned your homes, and killed and imprisoned many of the people, trust me, you would not think this language exaggerates. This end-of-the-world language perfectly describes what life feels like in times like these. It doesn’t take the destruction of a nation for it to feel apocalyptic. When people go through terrible trials at the personal level, it has a world-ending feel to it. The entire cosmos may as well be coming apart because our own personal universe is. Not every epic trial is the result of sin, but God uses it all for his purposes. Often, he uses trouble to purify his people. Zephaniah says as much in his final chapter, but when we go to the New Testament, we see this theme borne out over and over. One of the most notable examples is:
“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4
If you go through world ending trouble, “fear not,” Jesus said, “I have overcome the world.” No trial, no matter how apocalyptic, will have the final word in the Christian’s life.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for teachers as they prepare to return to the schools. Ask God to use teachers to be a light in the schools. Ask God to give them courage and endurance as they serve kids and their families.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.