Advent
December 11, 2018
Scripture Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak. –Zephaniah 3:15-16
An interesting sequence of statements appears in the above scripture:
Judgment is taken away>>>>>>fear disaster no more>>>>>>do not let your hands grow weak
What is this chain of thought saying? I think we can all appreciate not being judged for something about which we could, perhaps should, be judged. Does that statement indicate forgiveness?
There is an app on my phone from one of the local TV stations that sends out emergency weather alerts. Living in tornado alley develops a healthy respect for the storms and I appreciate having a loud and persuasive warning if a tornado is approaching. I must confess, I did not like having it awaken me recently at 3:00 am on a Wednesday morning to tell me that a winter storm warning was issued beginning at 6:00 am Friday particularly when the winter storm did not materialize. Being overcautious can result in ignoring the danger we may face or overactive fear. Prudent warning about disaster leaves no time for fear, only for action.
That leads us to keep our hands strong. Being prepared in general for whatever eventuality might come along is wise. I do think we need to work at good physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. This scripture seems to say even though we are freed from judgment, disasters can still happen, and we have a responsibility to address them to the best of our abilities with the Lord’s help.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your forgiveness, for freeing us from fear, and for the ability to work together as your servants in making this a better world. Amen.