Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 (NRSV)
Read Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 on biblegateway.com
Verse 7Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests. Verse 12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts, "The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm." Verse 13Their wealth shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.
Verse 14The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there. Verse 15That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, Verse 16a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. Verse 17I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the Lord, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Verse 18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath; in the fire of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Devotion
There's a certain hush that falls over creation this time of year. A layer of snow has silenced the crunching leaves, the birds have migrated to warmer climates. The cold slices through the clouds leaving a crystal blue sky above Fairbanks, while the mountains tower in the near distance. There is beauty in this scene, but there is also unease. There is barrenness, but there is also hidden hope.
In the chilling lines of this short reading from the prophet Zephaniah, hope certainly feels hidden. Almighty God comes to set things straight. All the things we hold on to so dearly seem to melt away—security, future, wealth, even ourselves—all but the faith we have in God. Make no mistake: that causes uneasiness even in the most faithful! But when those things are melting away, our hope is revealed in Jesus Christ, the one who remains to show us God's mercy.
Prayer
Thank you God for making things as they should be. As my life is re-ordered, give me hope that you are re-making me in the image of your Son, Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.