Today’s thought “Seek the Lord” (December 16)

When I was young, I, together with others, used to play ‘hide and seek’. It was fun. When you become an adult, Paul says, of himself,

“I gave up childish ways” (1 Corinthians 13:11).

But when you are grown up you should still seek! But what do you seek?

This line of thought was prompted by the occurrence of the word seek three times in one verse in Zephaniah 2. In verse 3 we read

“seek the Lord, all you humble … who do his just commands, seek righteousness; seek humility, perhaps you may be hidden in the day of the anger of the LORD”.

The various scriptures that describe the ultimate day when the Creator makes plain to the world that he does exists – they will see, that His anger is utterly awesome.

We saw in yesterday’s reading in Peter, his warning of God’s ultimate punishment on our totally godless world. Zephaniah has a similar message; warnings which had their first fulfilment when Israel’s kingdom came to an end. Then Zephaniah looked further into the future, God told him there would ultimately come

“a day of wrath … a day of distress and anguish … I will bring distress on mankind so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD … In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed” (1:15,17,18).

God made us and all the world and when his creation continuously ceases to acknowledge that he exists there is every reason for His anger. But those who “seek the Lord” and His righteousness can hope for protection in the day of the Lord’s anger. We remember how Jesus said, the

“angels will gather his elect … heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:31,35).

The heavens and earth referred to here are the present set up of godless human rulers and the godless people who are ruled over. So very few “seek the Lord” today – so many do not even think there is a Creator.

“They will say”,

as we read yesterday in 1 Peter 3:4,

“Where is the promise of his coming? … all things are continuing as they were from the beginning”.

So many think the “beginning” was a ‘mindless’ evolving of all the incredible mass of life – life that is so wonderfully complex, and so “the fire of his jealousy” will suddenly burst forth. Yet, thankfully, Jesus said, the Lord will

“cut short the days, (or) no human being would be saved” (Mark 13:20).

We must live in full appreciation that the greatest blessing in our lives now – is to have God’s word and to know how to “seek the Lord”. Let us not neglect to do so – every day.

Preceding articles

Like grasshoppers

Memorizing wonderfully 22 Jealous God not heaving pleasure in the wicked

To be prepared for the Day of Judgment

Condemnation of the World and Illustration of Justification

The Wrath of God

Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God

Today’s thought “The Eternal One going to wipe the face of the earth clean” (December 15)

Today’s thought “What sort of people ought you to be …” (December 15)

Today’s thought “The Eternal One going to wipe the face of the earth clean” (December 15)

Today’s thought “I will bring distress …” (December 15)

Today’s thought “The burning anger of the LORD” (December 16)