This is the last week of This Is the Old Testament! Next week, we’ll continue our thematic overview of the entire Bible with This Is The New Testament. Each day we’ll read a thematic selection from a different book or two of the Bible, along with supplemental passages that show how the theme of that day’s main reading is found throughout Scripture. We’ll also read a brief summary of each book and a reflection on how the book fits into the larger story of Scripture.
What Is Zephaniah? The book of Zephaniah warns the people of Judah about the consequences of idolatry and urges them to seek the Lord alone before the day of judgment comes. While Zephaniah’s immediate purpose was to warn idolatrous Judah of the Lord’s imminent judgment, the ultimate purpose was to call out a “remnant” from all nations to trust in the Lord
How Zephaniah Fits Into the Story: While Israel continued to turn away from God, the promise of a remnant, or a group of people left after a catastrophe, illustrates God’s amazing grace alongside His just wrath. God judges the proud and preserves the humble, and Zephaniah invited everyone who humbly obeyed the Lord to seek Him for deliverance. The New Testament highlights the beautiful truth that all people are invited to be part of such a remnant—those who receive eternal salvation through faith in Christ.
Reflection Questions:
1. How can you extend the kind of grace God showed His people to someone from your community who may be difficult to love?
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
Take time to reflect on your responses and share what you are learning with others in the community in the comments.
Good morning ladies. I don’t post much on here but truly enjoy all of the wisdom and insights that you post! Today I am here asking for prayers. Four weeks ago today I suffered a sub arachnoid hemorrhage which is a brain bleed basically. There was no apparent reason for it, All of the tests have come out with me being pretty healthy. But I am still recovering and I’m told it could be a long process. It is quite painful… Like the worst headache you’ve ever had. And my brain is still kind of scrambled so I can’t always think or speak the words I need to. I am finally able to read and so I have started back on this study and I’m so thankful that I can! If you could all just pray for my brain to heal completely and for the pain to be more tolerable and eventually be gone I would truly appreciate it. Hugs ❤️
GramsieSue I am sorry to hear about your SAH but grateful you are recovering. I am adding this to my prayer list. God bless you.
Praying for your recovery GramsieSue
@ Hope Trent, here is a verse for you today during your TWW:
I just want to say how grateful I am for ALL of you! My husband is away for 6 weeks and we are going through IVF after an infertility diagnosis and a miscarriage earlier this year. I miss him terribly and giving myself shots and waiting for the results on Thursday has been difficult. BUT this community is a HUGE blessing to me- every day I love reading your insight and testimony to the grace and power of God. I thank you for your prayers. Each day of this waiting period after the transfer and before the test I am learning more about God’s peace and provision. I ask for continued prayers. I also ask that I might not waste this time of waiting and all the suffering it’s taken to get to here, I want to have a testimony that shows God’s glory and not to just “white knuckle” it through until His blessing arrives! Thank you and bless you all!
Today’s verse is delight to read. I will be rewriting it several times and posting it though out my apartment. I also will be sending it to my sister.
I find sometimes just saying Hello with a smile or just smiling makes a different in people’s day. I know it does in mine. It especially helps on dreary days. The other thing I find that helps is a nod of acknowledgement and being told to have a good day. I like to say have good day because some people take offense to being told to have a blessed day.
Have a blessed day my sisters in Christ and keep smiling. :)
HEIDI I too have the hardest time with my family. My husbands side and I are complete opposites. They are not believers and I struggle greatly when I’m around them. I need to remember that I’m expecting godly behavior from a group that don’t follow God. ALLISON BENTLEY thank you for your comment. I need to forgive how they have treated me. It is old and I’ve hung onto it. Shame on me for not extending the same forgiveness that God has given me. Have a great day ladies!
@SuzieBates. I’m praying for you.
@Mari V My daughter struggles with so many things too. One day she was supposed to drop off something to her coach and pick up the end of the year gifts. She was in her car crying. She was just sitting there. She didn’t want to go in. I went up and took care of this for her. She also has an eating disorder.I will pray for your daughter and for you. She is blessed to have a praying, believing mom and one that asks others to pray too.
Good Morning! I looked up a couple of different translations for the verses in Romans. This one was so clear and amazing to me. I smiled after reading this! How awesome is our God that provides forgiveness and grace. I have definitely struggled with beating myself up. Here are the verses. Christ Took Our Punishment
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses* and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
Also, on of the ladies explained more about the mercy seat that is written about in the CSB translation. I can’t remember who, but thank you for sharing. That part confused me when. I appreciate when you all share what you have learned or looked up. Sending prayers.