Title: Tough and Tender / Topic: Judgment

Today’s Reading: Zephaniah 1; Zephaniah 2; Zephaniah 3; John 9

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:4-6
4 Her prophets are arrogant; they are treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.
5 The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.
6 "I have cut off nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are destroyed; no one will be left—no one at all.

Observation: These verses caught my attention because of the great contrast presented in them. In between verse 4, which discusses the guilt of arrogant spiritual leaders, and verse 6, which talks about the severe judgment of God, is a verse which declares the absolute rightness and pure motives of the Lord. How can a God who does no wrong be so harsh and destructive in judgment? It's a question I've been asked often. I must take by faith that God is love and that His love demands justice. I must also take by faith that because He is perfect He knows exactly what kind and amount of justice is right. I know that God is long-suffering and gracious by personal experience; He has been that way with me. I also know that He promised us a heaven that is a place of joy and peace where there will be no sorrow or tears. Even the best people I know have been selfish enough to hurt others at some point in their lives. If they are too arrogant to admit they need God's perfection, then God can't admit them to heaven and have it be a perfect environment for us. They would cause one of us pain at some point. If we are humble and admit we need God's forgiveness for our imperfections then He says there will come a day when He takes our sin nature from us and we will be made perfect and therefore ready for heaven. This, I believe, is why God must judge all people who refuse to humble themselves before Him. His judgment, though it seems harsh, is really an act of love so that He can provide us with the perfect heaven He promised.

Application: Stay humble! Arrogance is the only truly deadly sin if we persist in it; all others can be forgiven.

Prayer: Help me Lord to realize my complete need of You. Shine the light of Your Spirit in my heart to reveal any unperceived arrogance so I may repent of it. This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.