May 1, 2021

grayscale view of people in traditional Nigerian attire raising their hands and singing praise - Photo by Adedotun Adegborioye on Unsplash

Zephaniah 3:14–15 (New American Standard Bible)
Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You will fear disaster no more.

PASTOR’S COMMENTARY

We can just imagine the joy of the people of Zephaniah’s day when they heard the words from the prophet. After pronouncing judgment upon Judah’s enemies, God began to pronounce judgment upon them.

God’s people's morality had sunk to a level below their enemies. They allowed the desire for prosperity to lead them into idolatry. Their unfaithfulness was described as adultery. They had violated the covenant with God and paid a severe price for their choice by becoming slaves to their enemies.

But then God promised to forgive and restore His people. The words of the prophet were great news to God’s people. It was a ray of hope in a dark time in their history.

As we begin to see a glimpse of recovery, we, too, can sense God moving on our behalf. Regardless of the differences of opinions concerning the cause of the pandemic, we all can agree we want to get to the point that it is behind us.

God’s Word for today is a motivation to rejoice and give God praise for His faithfulness. His mercy does endure forever, and we can begin now to thank Him for His grace. We don’t need to wait until we march into our Worship Center; we can shout now! BooYah!