""Therefore wait for Me," declares the LORD, "For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All My burning anger; For all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal. "For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder. "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings. "In that day you will feel no shame Because of all your deeds By which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst Your proud, exulting ones, And you will never again be haughty On My holy mountain. "But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the LORD. "The remnant of Israel will do no wrong And tell no lies, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down With no one to make them tremble."" (Zephaniah 3:8-13 NAS95S)
Observation: The Lord says... "Wait for me!" He doesn't say "worry." He doesn't say, "grow weary." He says wait.
Do we not see? Can we not perceive? This waiting time is a blessing. It is to build anticipation. It is to be a time of gathering; calling all nations to make themselves ready for the great and terrible day of the Lord. This time of tarrying is to be a time of telling the good news of the gospel. This time of waiting is to be a time of witnessing to the One who says: "Behold I come quickly."
O let us not wait in vain; but let us be victorious in our waiting:
"Those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:28-31 NAS95S)
My wife once pointed out to me that waiting can also mean, "to earnestly hope for..."
Do we earnestly hope for the coming of the Lord? Do we lean into his promise as the rock climber leans into the side of the great mountain, or the sailor leans into his vessel as they traverse the rocky waves. O we must lean my brother, my sister. We must hold fast to the promise.... Waiting in anticipation. Waiting with great hope. For our God shall prove faithful. His Promised One shall come. The Anointed One shall appear with power and great Glory.
Prayer: O ready our hearts Holy Spirit. Grant us redemption full and free. Fill us with a Holy Waiting... A waiting that bears witness to a wandering world. A waiting that bears witness to the scoffers and the skeptics. O let the nations be gathered Lord Jesus. Be true to Your promise through the prophet Zephaniah:
"Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, Before the decree takes effect— The day passes like the chaff— Before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you. Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD'S anger." (Zephaniah 2:1-3 NAS95S)
O yes Lord Jesus, hide us on the day of Your anger. Hide is in the shadow of the cross. Hide in the hope that is Holy. Hide is in Your robe that is righteousness. Hide is in You, our Rock and our Redeemer.
1 comment:
Jim, in thinking about our eagerness for Jesus to come, the following from Jesus came to mind about His passion to see things happen so God can bring us home:
“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!"(Luke 12:49-50).
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