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.
IRI AM and SARAH ADAMS – I love your positive attitude and that you pray for your future husband. I would recommend the book, Relationship Goals, by Michael Todd. I’m going through it with my girl’s study group. One of the things I appreciate is that it values highly the single time you have in your life while preparing you for intentional dating. It is a good read and might give you even more encouragement than I see in your spirit already.
KATHY – Thank you for the honesty of sharing how hard the last 3 years have been but also your witness that you would not trade them and how they draw you closer to God. Interestingly it has been the last 3 for me as well that have been hardest. Even in the struggle though, God is good, all the time. Step by step we walk this journey thankful that He is near and promises to use it for good. We are so blessed.
MARTHA HIX – I’m sorry for your son and his dog. Not everyone has the blessing of a close pet relationship. I am glad for him and pray help and healing. I pray for your daughters pneumonia as well. May she get the rest she needs and heal completely without it turning into anything else.
MELANIE – I continue to pray against the pain in your body and ask for God’s guidance, healing, and peaceful covering over you. May you be guided to just the right doctor, nutrient, or exercise/stretching program to not only help heal your pain but put you on the life track that it doesn’t return.
E.K. – May you have guidance from the Holy Spirit as to where to live. Lord, open and close doors we pray.
TOR H. – I prayed for your 7 hour trip with your little one, was it Sunday? My days get all confused in the summer. Anyway, I did pray and hope you are home safely and that good memories were made.
TRACI GENDRON – I am sorry for the pain you experienced both from your divorce and abuse. This is the amazing thing, I am sorry from a human experience and someone doesn’t know you except by your words…BUT GOD, loves you immensely, gave His Son for relationship with you, and He cares and hurts for your hurt even more. Praise God you are His child and that you will have ways to reach out to those hurting that many others do not have. May He continue to heal your broken heart. May you remember the scars, so that they can be of good but, may they be healed in such a way that they do not bring pain but peace. Peace for you and peace you could share with others as God leads you.
Thank you, Angie. This community is full of such beautiful women lifting others up. What a gift to be a part of.
I should express God’s mercy on others by never giving up on them and always be compassionate towards them.
Zephaniah 3:17- The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. – Such an encouraging verse today that God just made stand out in the reading for me. I am leaving for a mission trip to Atlanta, Georgia in the fourth ward where my church helped fund and plant another church there. Please pray for my team’s safety and for God to do some amazing things in us and the people in Atlanta and that we would serve whole heartedly for the Lord!! I am a little nervous and I just love how he is so intentional to “quiet” my heart by reminding me that I serve a God who is in my midst and mighty to save!!!
Praying for you GramsieSue and for the pain to subside and a full recovery.
Gramiesue, I am praying for you!
I just wanted to say how thankful I am to have such an encouraging group of ladies who love Jesus so much. I’ve been struggling with my faith and I’ve only been going to God when He was convenient. I’m getting back into it though and thanks to every one of your encouraging words I’ve been in the Word and found happieness that I’ve never felt before! I never want to go back to my old ways! Thank you, sisters.
Linda Gilbow, I too lost my son, the day after his 18th birthday. He wasn’t murdered, he drowned. He was trying to swim across a creek that was flooded and way out of it’s banks. He, his younger brother and his friend decided to do it. The friend made it across, he was lucky, the water was going about 80 mph. My older son got tangled in brush and drug under. I was told later by my younger son that he almost went in after him but something changed his mind. I told him God changed his mind because I couldn’t have handled losing both sons that day. My faith and love of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit have gotten me through the last almost 19 years. Also just last year I lost my niece, she was like a daughter to me, and she was going to be 35 years old in two days after her death. She died in a car accident. Her fiancé was driving drunk and she wasn’t wearing her seat belt properly and she was thrown from the truck. I believe God has a reason for everything He does. My sister is having a very difficult time handling the death of my niece. I’m able to help her through it. I have an aunt who was able to help me through mine. The loss of a child is hard. If you need help let me know. I’ll be praying for you.
Laurie Eckes this is the last week of this study and then we move on the New Testament Study. I believe it’s a five week study but I’m not sure.
Anyone know when we will be done with this current study?