The devotion comes from
in context Zephaniah 2
Gather together, yes, gather,
O shameless nation,
2 before the decree takes effect
—before the day passes away like chaff--
before there comes upon you
the burning anger of the Lord,
before there comes upon you
the day of the anger of the Lord.
3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the Lord.
4 For Gaza shall be deserted,
and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon,
and Ekron shall be uprooted.
My Thoughts
and it is isn't it? a call to action, a reminder of what we are to be, a reminder that we aren't asked to do something unreasonable.
It's a call from one of God's spokes people (that's what a prophet is) to turn back to the Lord before the Lord issues out punishment for not listening and obeying him. It's like a mom saying to her children.. LISTEN to your father or you KNOW what will happen. Children with a mind to pleasing their parents will listen.
God wants what is right for us and will discipline us because it is ever so important that we do listen and do try to do what he asks of us. It's not like he asks us to do things that are wrong...his commands are JUST. He wants us to seek righteousness. Is this an horrid thing to do? It is something that demands too much of us? I think not.
Come, let us
From the email
In short, He wants to revive our hearts.
And it all begins with brokenness and humility. No exceptions, shortcuts, or substitutes.
Brokenness is God’s prescription for nearly every condition that ails human hearts and lives, because pride in one form or another is almost always at the root of our most difficult issues—fear, sinful bondages, fragmented relationships, communication barriers, generation gaps, unresolved conflicts, guilt, shame, self-absorption, addictions, hypocrisy, even insecurities and excessive shyness. You may have resigned yourself to one or more of these realities; you may be hiding behind their high, thick walls, not wanting to relinquish control or admit weakness. But every one of those walls can crumble through genuine brokenness and humility.
Do you need a fresh infusion of God's grace today? Do you long to experience abundant life, to live in the realm of the supernatural, to enjoy the free flow of His Spirit? Do you want to be set free from those selfish, sinful patterns that plague your walk and poison your relationships? Do you want to find fullness of joy?
Then I challenge you to a radically new way of thinking and living, in which the way up is down, in which death brings life. Brokenness and humility are truly the pathway to your wholeness.
What might happen if you abandoned your pride and relinquished your hold on your rights? What do you really stand to lose? What do you stand to gain?