Fresh Start Daily

Devo: 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.

Have you ever wondered why God pardons our iniquities despite their utmost gravity when we repent from them? I have. I couldn’t get my finite mind to understand God’s infinite well of mercy. However, it says in Micah 7:18 that the LORD delights in mercy.

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19

God actually delights in mercy. Wow. We can never say God is merciless. If people do not experience His mercy and forgiveness, it’s because they reject it. God is merciful but we should never forget that God is also just. There’s no sense in giving us the law (God’s law) if there is no consequence when we violate it. Those who refuse God’s mercy will see His justice.

What Charles Spurgeon said about us not feeling/experiencing God’s mercy is beautiful:

“Whatever despair may whisper or doubt may suggest, one text of Scripture is worth fifty fears and doubts, or fifty thousand either.… All objections to the delight of God in mercy are but illusions of your brain, or delusions of your heart.”

The enemy likes to plant seeds of doubt in our mind and heart. However, I am reminded to doubt my doubts. I am reminded to trust God and not my feelings. The enemy’s purpose is to destroy us so we won’t have victory in Christ.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” John 10:10

God promises us the opposite:

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

“You will cast our sins into the depths of the sea.” V. 19

Wow. He will not only forgive us but He will also forget our sins. Casting our sins into the depths of the sea means throwing our sins into the deepest part of the sea where it cannot be retrieved.

“God will not hold on to our sin but forgive us instead. This means there is no probation with God’s forgiveness. He doesn’t forgive our sins just to hold onto them and hang them over our heads. In His compassion, He does away with our sins, casting them into the depths of the sea – and then He puts a ‘No Fishing’ sign there!” enduringword.com

This reminds me of this verse, too:

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

When we repent from our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, we must get up and keep walking towards our heavenly goal. We must press on and focus our eyes on Jesus Christ who will lead and guide us.

Father God, help us to believe that we are completely forgiven and that we can move forward with You. Thank You for the assurance of Your mercy and forgiveness.

Panginoon, kahit anong ningning ng mundong ito, sa Iyo ako.
Kahit anong ganda ng mga tanawin, alam ko ang katapusan nito.
Hindi ako mahuhumaling sa anuman dito sa mundo.
Namamangha ako sa gawa ng kamay Mo,
Pero handa akong lisanin ito para sa Iyo.
Ang naghihintay sa akin sa langit sa piling Mo,
Ay kapayapaan na perpekto.
Wala nang luha, sakit, o pasakit rito.