July 25: Zephaniah

Travis and I have a Brittany spaniel named Sawyer. He's not a very big dog, but he is a wrecking ball of energy who wants to play all the time! His absolute favorite thing to play with is a laser pointer. If you have a laser pointer and shine it all over the place he will chase it for hours. Inside he'll run from one end of the house to the other over and over again. Outside he'll run circles around the house. This dog is never satisfied. When you don't have the laser pointer, he's thinking about it. When you do have it, he will never stop chasing that little red dot!

I often wonder why he loves it so much. When you think about it, there's nothing he can gain out of running after the light. He won't gain food that will sustain him. He won't gain water that will quench his thirst. He won't gain anything he needs because it's just a red dot of no value. As much as his behavior doesn't make sense to me, I think I'm more like him than I care to admit. How often do I pursue things of this world that have no value or substance?

Zephaniah had a warning for the people of Judah regarding the way they chased after worthless idols and false gods. God would stretch His hand against them for bowing down and worshipping that which was not the Lord. I think it's safe to say that none of us are tempted to worship Baal or Molech, but we still willing fall into the same trap as the people of Judah. We chase after money, power, a comfortable life. We put these things that have no value ahead of the God who created us and wants to give us everything we need and more. This warning that Zephaniah gave Judah thousands of years ago is a warning that is very important for us today. Steve Edwards preached a sermon a couple Sundays ago and his message has definitely stayed with me. We are to reject the cheap comfort this world wishes to sell us. If we go for comfort in other sources besides our God, we will not be fulfilled. Not only does it leave us empty, but we will also have to face God's righteous judgement.

As always, God desires for us to make things right. If we stop pursuing worthless things (little red dots!) and return to Him, we will find Him more comforting and more satisfying than anything we could imagine. 

Zephaniah 3:14-17

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; 

shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

O Daughter of Jerusalem!

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. 

On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
"Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp. 

The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save. 
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love, 
he will rejoice over you with singing."