18 December 2018 – Zephaniah 3:14-17 (NIV)

18 December 2018 – Zephaniah 3:14-17 (NIV)

Scripture

14 Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Reflection

The Book of Zephaniah was written by the king’s fellow worker, the prophet Zephaniah, during the time of King Josiah’s religious reform in an attempt to rid Judah of all her corruption and sin. This book mainly tells of the Judgment Day, which is also known as Jehovah’s Day (not to be mistaken by the religion Jehovah’s witness). Jehovah’s day will occur at the second coming of Christ and means the destruction of God’s enemies and deliverance for those who fear and serve Him. On this joyful day, the people of God are exempt from God’s wrath. Therefore, Zephaniah says he will sing for joy based on these reasons. This passage can also help us in a time of current trials and tribulations. We as Christinas can know that all earthly problems will fade away and we will rejoice with God in His presence for all eternity long (Woowon).

Thoughts for the day

  • What trials or problems currently keep you away from sharing in Zephaniah’s joy?
  • How does it make you feel, if you are a Christian, that on Judgement day, you will be delivered from the wrath of God? What feeling and attitude does it leave you with?

Prayer

Pray for the leaders of the nations of the world. Pray for the leader of your home country by name.

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By |2018-12-14T12:54:30+08:00December 18th, 2018|Categories: Week 3|Comments Off on 18 December 2018 – Zephaniah 3:14-17 (NIV)

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Con Loggenberg is a native South African and the Discipleship Director at Shanghai Community Fellowship (SCF). He holds a B.Sc. degree and a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Quantity Surveying, a B.Th. (Hons) degree in Theology and an M.Th. degree in Theology. He and his Texan wife, twin boys and daughter live in Shanghai, China.