This Time.

Two things can happen when the Lord lives among us. Judgement and restoration.

Zephaniah 3:5 talks about the Lord staying in the midst of rebellious and polluted Jerusalem. What was the nature of the Jerusalem that God was talking about at the beginning of the chapter? It was rebellious and polluted. It was filled with violence and crime. It refused all correction, and it didn't trust the Lord. The leaders of the city, the judges of the city, the prophets, and the priests lived for their own gain, hurt the innocent, and never had the fear of God in them.

Verse 5 says, "But the Lord is still in the city." The rest of the verses talk about the fierce judgment Jerusalem received from the hand of God.

Today, when I was listening to a message, I was stunned to hear a pastor saying, "In a Christian walk, you may not have signed up for suffering, but I am sure you signed up for sanctification." And sanctification will happen through suffering. God Himself worked on the rebellious, haughty Jerusalem to bring it back on track. In verse 11 God says, "I will remove all the proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on My holy mountain." God brought down His judgments and purified His people by living in the midst of them. How true it is when the Bible says, "The Lord detests the proud." It is in Proverbs 16:5.

Dear friend, we expect blessing after blessing when we feel that the Lord is in the midst of us. But the Lord puts us through sanctification before He lifts us. He purifies our speech, as in verse 9: "Then I will purify the speech of all peoples."

The rest of the verses, from verses 11 to 20, are so beautiful and talk about how God blesses the nation, the city, and the people who are sanctified to be humble before Him. The sanctified people trusted the Lord. They did no wrong, they stopped lying and deceiving, they were not afraid of anyone, and they slept in safety.

And now comes the beautiful moment where the prophet calls the people of God to rejoice and dance, as the Lord is going to live in the midst of them. This time, it's not about judgment.

This time it is to clear away the disaster, to wipe away the tears, to get rid of the enemies and the trouble. This time it is to comfort those who mourn, this time to protect His people from disgrace, this time to remove mockery and shame from His people, this time to bring them back to their home, to their God, this time to give them a good name, a name of distinction, and finally, this time to restore the fortunes of His people before the very eyes of their enemies.

Yes, dear people of God, are you tired of the suffering that you are going through? Are you fed up with the discipline you are receiving? It is the Lord who purifies, and again, it is the Lord who comforts. He is in the midst of us through the suffering, through the sanctification, and throughout the restoration.

Dear God,

We thank You for who You are to us. May we humble ourselves when You correct us. May we be sanctified in our speech. Remove every unholy thing in us, dear Lord. May we be assured of every promise that You are going to fulfill for us. Thank You for the hopeful future You have for us. Thank You for the days of restoration that are not far away.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.