Let’s sing!

God sings over you.

We see some great examples of divine surprises in Zephaniah whose name means  - the Lord has concealed. In the book, we see Israel entrenched in sin. Although King Josiah had done some great things like removing idols and restoring worship, Israel kept worshiping other gods.

This led to King Josiah’s death on the battlefield as the Israelites met Babylon and here’s the interesting thing…Zephaniah saw it coming. For years he had warned the Israelites of the big picture and this book is a poetic book of these messages.

The book of Zephaniah has three parts:

First there is a reversal of Genesis 1…the world goes back into chaos and there is a significant amount of the destruction brought about by an army…Zephaniah doesn't mention who the army is like the other prophets, but instead conceals it so that we focus on God’s role in this future day. God is in control…but we don’t always see how.

The  next part is about the faithful remnant. Hope comes to those who repent. They are the faithful remnant. What we don’t see or know, can actually bring us hope. 

The last  part of the book is about purification. God will gather everyone and pour out his burning indignation….kind of like a dark pentecost. God’s justice becomes a consuming fire that devours evil from the land.

But we are to expect the unexpected… The burning fire of divine judgment is not about destroying people but to purify people as well as heal and transform them.

The city is rebuilt with the purified, faithful remnant who are called to sing

AND THEN the best part…GOD SINGS over his people!!!!!!!!!!!

God gathers the outcast, the poor,  the broken and exalts them…. We don’t usually see the outcast, the poor, the broken and elevate them. No one aspires to be poor or outcast. We aspire to make ourselves rich, be included, and made whole. The grace shown here is that God doesn’t equip them so that they can exalt themselves. God exalts.

God’s vision for the future is bigger than we can fathom. There are parts of the future that we don’t understand. But there are parts of the present that we don’t understand. We don’t see the big picture. Now we see in a mirror dimly but then we see face to face.

Singing can be a form of prayer, and it can be used to praise God and give thanks for His blessings. When you sing, your brain releases chemicals that have mood-boosting and stress-relieving effects. singing also reduces anxiety and increases feelings of well-being. It can also help you to connect with others and build community. Singing is also a great way to connect with God and express your faith.

When we sing, we are returning to the image of God in which we were created. We are more like God, who sings over his restored, exalted people. Therefore, your challenge is to sing. That is your #HolyMischief for today. Sing. You don't have to sing around other people. But sing. Because God has joy for you.

Dr. K

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you.
    He is the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you.
    In his love he will no longer punish you.
    Instead, he will sing for joy because of you.”

#faith

#prayer

#HolyMischief