Friday Faithfuls Two: Zephaniah

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Well, well, our little flying skim through the books of the Bible has brought us to the little book of Zephaniah, proclaiming imminent judgement against Judah and paralleling it with the distant 'day of the LORD' judgement of the whole earth.

This verse jumped out at me...

"At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.' "  - Zeph. 1:12

What struck me here is that the offense of the ones punished is...complacency. It's not raging evil.  It's just a 'ho-hum, life will go on as it has and God won't do anything' attitude.

That's not describing folks who deny God's existence, by the way.  This was God, talking about the attitude of his own people.  The ones who were to live according to his statutes and commandments.  Who had been delivered again and again in their history.  They were the ones who chose to behave as if it were all just bedtime stories for kids, go through the motions of devotion, but who didn't really believe God would do anything.  Notice...it's not those who SAID 'The LORD will do nothing...' , it's folks who THINK 'The LORD will do nothing.'

That gets down to the bone, there.

What do we really believe about God?  Do we believe that he acts, that he's involved? Or do we think he just watches?  Or forgets?  

Because if we truly believe God doesn't care,  won't act...then we give up, give in, go through the motions.

Not a good place to be.  Not at all.