July 24

Zephaniah There’s A Great Day Coming

Several years ago there was a production of Shakespeare's Hamlet in Chicago. Near the end of the play there is a climactic fight scene— the guys had swords flashing all over the stage. Well, that night, right in the middle of all that action, Hamlet suddenly shouted, "Stop! Stop!" All the actors stopped and looked puzzled but froze. Then Hamlet stepped to the edge of the stage and said, "Someone's been hurt. Is there a doctor in the house?"
Apparently, during the fight, his knife had flown from his hand into the audience and struck a woman above her eye. The play stopped for a while till they could attend to her and ensure she was all right. Then Hamlet said, "Places," and the actors all resumed their frozen mid-fight poses till he said "Action," and they finished the scene and the play.
Today we read the book of Zephaniah and in it we see God as the great warrior and healer. He definitely draws his sword and has it flashing over the stage of the world. There is judgment in Judah, Philistia, Moab, Assyria and then there is a pause in the action. During this pause God calls all nations to seek him, to seek righteousness and humility. When people do seek him he heals all who turn to him. Then God makes an incredible promise.

Zeph. 3:17 He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Wow.. what a picture of God, quieting us with his love and taking so much pleasure in us that he sings over us.
Those words create a picture in my mind of a mother cradling her little baby and singing lullabies to the child. We are living in the time when God is offering this love to all people.

But soon, God will say, "Action!" and a terrible end-time drama will have all the swords of earth crashing into one another in a cataclysmic finale.

The question for mankind is this, “Do you want to face God as your Judge or your Lover?”

Seek the Lord now for the Day of the Lord is coming. Don't procrastinate in the pursuit of God. Today is the right time to trust in him. People say he is not coming back, but he will. And when he does it will be too late. Don't wait.