The Lord will care for them; the Lord will be awesome to them; the Lord is righteous; the Lord is mighty to save; the Lord has taken away your punishment; the Lord is with you.
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The Lord will punish those who are complacent; the Lord will bring great distress on the people; the cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter; the Lord will sweep away everything from the face of the earth; in the fire of the Lord's jealousy the whole world will be consumed; the great day of the Lord is near~ near and coming quickly. ~ The Prophet Zephaniah
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Happy Monday Morning! The coffee's strong and the Lord is good! Whew! I have to say, working my way through the minor prophets has been challenging. It is hard to wake up every morning knowing that, again, I have to see myself in the very same place as many of the nations that these prophets warned. She obeys no one, she accepts no correction, she does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God (Zephaniah 3:2). In the depths of my soul that is still me.
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How many times do I cringe at obedience, even (especially?) to the word; how many times do I refuse to accept correction (from my husband, pastor, loved ones); how many times do I whine, worry, and complain rather than just trusting God for even the small things (like toilet paper, let alone my salvation); how many times do I let the world (the internet) consume me rather than drawing near to my God?
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My immediate justification is to only focus on God's goodness to me. Yes, yes, yes, I know, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but I do not want to forget who I am, lest I leave a legacy of apathy to my children. This great salvation of God came to even me. Throughout all the ages He has required His children to walk in His ways. He has given us numerous prophets and warnings, and yet we stray. Like the Israelites in Exodus we claim "Just tell us what to do God, and we will obey!". Yet, at the first test, we fail Him. In the easy things, we fail Him. It's not about saving the world, signing up for every project at church, or following the law to a T. God requires that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. Proclaiming his statutes by our lives and obedience.
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Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows [the Lord].
