April 07
Tuesday, April 7
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. Zephaniah 3:15
Having rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, God chose Moses to lead them and prepare them for the life in their new country. With the Ten Commandments God bound Israel to Him in a covenant. God demanded Israel to maintain their part of the covenant.
However, they soon adopted the religious practices of their foreign neighbors. In reality, Israel rejected God and his commandments.
Through the prophet Zephaniah, God told Israel, “I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction (3:6-7)!” Israel did not listen.
God knows our hearts – how stubborn and set in our ways we are. But because of his love for each of us, he continues to forgive us when we reject him.
Prayer:
Lord God, you remind us that you are patiently waiting for us to return to you. Help us to humble ourselves, and with contrite hearts return to our one true God. Draw us in humility to yourself in this Lenten season of penitence. Amen.
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