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Day 263, or September 20, the Day of the Lord is coming.

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Our thoughts today are rooted in Zephaniah chapter 2 verse 3. Seek the Lord, all you

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humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility, perhaps

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you will be sheltered on the Day of the Lord's anger.

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Look at the big picture surrounding this verse. Zephaniah speaks to the people of Judah almost

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a century after the Assyrians have scattered the northern tribes. Then only twenty more

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years will pass before the city of Nineveh falls to the invading army of Babylonia. God

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sends a prophet to declare that the Day of the Lord is coming, and ultimate justice will

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be done, and many survive to see such a day with the downfall of Nineveh. Along with Jeremiah

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and Habakkuk, Zephaniah is a last-minute warning, to shape up or be shipped away into exile.

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They ignore the warning, and within little more than a generation, Nebuchadnezzar attacks

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and takes them into exile in Babylonia, just as God had told them.

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And now today's action step. It seems so many people are getting away with unlawful

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acts these days. This was the accusation being made in the days of Zephaniah over two and

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a half thousand years ago. He told the people that all would be resolved on the Day of the

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Lord, when God would bring ultimate justice as only he can, but they didn't believe him.

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The situation hasn't changed a lot since then. Many folk today don't believe Jesus

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will return, but on that Day of the Lord, justice will be done and be seen to be done.

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I know a lady who is very bitter about a tradesman who she is convinced has ripped her off, to

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use her words. She says that she can't forgive him. When bad things happen to you, do your

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best to forgive the perpetrator quickly before bitterness sets in. You can do all this knowing

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that in the Day of the Lord, justice will be done. Trust God immediately to work it

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all out in his perfect time and know his peace now.