ZEPHANIAH-hang on to your seatbelts!

This week I'm studying Zephaniah in preparation for the sermon this coming Saturday. I find I often vacillate between the seemingly grace/love filled Gospels in the New Testament and the more familiar stories of the Old Testament (trying to stay with the ones that don't disturb me as much) when I go to spend time with Scripture. The Bible and I have been having a bit of a rocky relationship over the last while (maybe therein lies a clue-my spiritual relationship is to be with God, not the Bible). Sometime I may unpack the details of this experience more. Anyway, this week I felt impressed that it was time to dive into one of the areas of the Bible that I tend to avoid, trusting that the Holy Spirit will "protect" me! Landing on Zephaniah, it became time to "fasten my seatbelt"! The picture of God, at least initially, is rather disturbing, and in seemingly stark contrast to the one revealed in the man Jesus. However, as I've plodded through, the God of Jesus has begun to emerge. I am also being reminded that while God is "the same yesterday, today, and forever", He uses different communication instruments (people) in different eras which can make His voice sound significantly different at face value. So I press on, eagerly interested in what God is going to teach us through this "wild" little book.

I say us, because I've asked other members of our congregation to be exploring Zephaniah this week as well and to give me any feedback that they may have before the weekend in preparation for the sermon time. So, if any Cariboo Central members are lurking here, feel free to leave feedback in the comments section (anyone else, of course, is welcome to lead feedback too!).

Now, what does the above picture have to do with this? Those precious little darlings garner much of my affection at this point in my life. If anyone were to intentionally seek to harm them, well...let's just say that individual would have hell to pay! I wonder if that's part of the underlying message of Zephaniah? God will go ballistic (in some heavenly way) to love and protect the objects of His affection, you and I!