Zephaniah 2
Chapter 2 verses 1 to 3 focus on God’s call of repentance to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. It says that people should repent before it’s too late. God loves us so much that He even gives us a warning through His prophets so we won’t perish.
“How easy it is to let the days pass like chaff, and never get right with God! Often the devil’s most powerful lie isn’t that there is no God, or no Bible, or no truth – often his most powerful lie is that there is no hurry. Nevertheless, today is the day of salvation.” enduringword.com
Life is short. It is true that Satan deceives us by thinking that we have more time but tomorrow is not guaranteed. Later is not even guaranteed. We have to get right with God NOW, not later, not tomorrow.
Eternity starts here on earth while we are still alive. How we live our life here on earth determines where we will spend our eternity. Will we spend our forever in heaven or in hell?
Many people say they will get right with God when they have tried everything on earth because “YOLO”. Some say they will get right with God when they’re already old. They’re too cool to follow Jesus now or ever. It’s sad that evil is regarded as cool and good as uncool. Following Jesus is actually cool! I don’t feel pressured to fit in. I am free from people’s judgments because I know that God’s opinion of me matters more than anyone. I don’t need to fit in and it feels so freeing.
Knowing that there is a God in heaven who considers me as His child and loves me and knows my true value is so freeing. I don’t have to impress people who don’t even like me. But then again, we don’t know how long we have left on earth to live.
“Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth…” v. 3
This is a call to everyone–righteous and unrighteous. We may be believers of Jesus but have gone cold in our relationship with Him. This stood out to me because us believers have the tendency to lax because we know that we are already saved.
It says in the Bible that we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). That he who endures till the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).
Believers have to endure till the end. There are a lot of temptations and trials around us and we have to endure. We all have to seek the Lord. We have to seek the LORD everyday.
“It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger.” v. 3
“In more than one place, God promises to hide His righteous in the day of great judgment. This is especially relevant to the time of the Great Tribulation, when Jesus warned us to Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36)” enduringword.com
Wow. The LORD will hide the righteous in the Great Tribulation.
One of our pastors in church said that if we are going to do bad things, we should do it to the full so we won’t have regrets. If we are going to follow God, we should follow Him fully.
It’s funny but it makes sense because God doesn’t want lukewarm believers. He said in His Word that He will spit out of His mouth those that are lukewarm. That is a scary thought!
Delayed obedience is disobedience. When God says repent, He is not suggesting that we should. He is commanding us to repent.