Thursday 16 August 2018

Saving Grace

The LORD your God is with you, 
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, 
he will quiet you with his love, 
he will rejoice over you with singing.                           Zeph. 3.17



Zephaniah has prophesied God’s coming judgment on Judah. He has written of the retribution that God will bring upon His people because of their apostate ways. Then he speaks of God’s grace to His people.

“Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, 
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord 
and serve him shoulder to shoulder.”         (3.9)

Shortly this is followed by the hope and promise of verse 17.


         

Lord God,
I thank You for Your great goodness. As I read through the twelve prophets I am reminded time and again of Your love and fruitfulness to Your people. In those times before both the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions, when Your people’s conduct was bad towards You in the extreme and Your prophets spoke words of severe punishment upon them, the promise comes through – time and again – of Your release, Your love and mercy. Hope is never lost. I thank You, great and wonderful God.
I thank You for this is also the case today. However badly an individual, a group or even a nation behave towards You, Your redemptive hand is always opened towards them, offering mercy and forgiveness, love and peace, hope and a future.
Lord God, I pray for those in my family who do not know You. I pray for their salvation. I ask You to reach down from heaven and draw them to You. Bring them to a place of acceptance of You – fully and completely as Lord and Saviour. In Jesus’ name I ask.           Amen.

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