Series: NewNew
Zephaniah 3:1-4 ESV
*Zephaniah 3:5 ESV
Zephaniah 3:8 ESV
The beginning line of Zephaniah 3 identifies the focal character and audience as SHE.
In Zephaniah 3:1-4 who is she?
“Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!
She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction.She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God.
Her officials within her are roaring lions;her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.
Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.”
In this prophecy SHE is a wicked city.
She is godless.
We know that because of the reference to the priests and prophets and the sanctuary and the law.
In Zephaniah 3:5 we are told,
“The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice;every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.”
The hope given to her is promised. In Zephaniah 3:8 the word of the Lord for the city is, “wait for me.”
I don’t know about you but I’ve not met very many people who are “good” at waiting.
I remember a conversation about waiting for God with a fellow when I was 21. He was in his mid-60’s.
We were in school studying to be ministry. Others we knew who were in school were already on staff so we thought having a part time church would be a good fit. We put the word out that we were looking for a part-time church and nothing happened.
We were frustrated that others who were studying were already serving in a church.
I asked the older fellow why he thought we didn’t get any responses. He smiled and said it could be any number of reasons. He followed up by telling me that only God knows the answer.
I told him I’d been praying and nothing happened.
He smiled and said, “okay”.
I made a face. It wasn’t a bad face but it was a frustrated face.
He said, “only God knows the answer about when. Until then you need to trust God.”
I told him, “I am trusting God to open a door.”
See, at that time I thought getting a position in a church was based solely on my ability to believe that God would do it. So I told him, “I prayed and I believed.”
He looked at me a long time, long enough that I started to feel uncomfortable and then he Asked, “What did you believe in?”
So I said, “that God would get us a position in a church now.”
Then he replied, “the timing is not up to you. Only God knows the day and the hour. You must learn to trust and wait for God.”
That conversation happened fifty years ago.
Eventually we did serve on staff at several churches over the course of thirty years. Each time we knew our time of service in a church was ending we went through the same process of applying, praying, being interviewed and moving to a new church.
Ever so gradually we did learn to trust God for the timing.
We learned to wait. There were times when the door opened quickly and times when we waited a while for the doors to open.
Looking back I can tell you the Lord is righteous and just.
God does not fail those who keep their eyes on Him.
Ever so gradually I learned that serving God is not the prize. God is the prize. Every day, God is the prize. When I wake up and I realize God is in me I smile and I take time to simply love God and receive God’s love.
Now, that is my favorite time of the day. It’s not that I don’t pray specific requests and talk to God throughout the day…it’s just that the time spent simply loving God and receiving God’s love is ever so precious.
Spiritual Practice: Love God
Receive God’s love.
In God, Deborah