day of the Lord – Be Still…

2 Peter 3:1-18 – God’s Timing

I continue to marvel at how fast time seems to speed by. Days turn into weeks in the blink of an eye. As a child, it seemed to take forever for the weekend or summer vacation to arrive. Now, I wonder how I managed to get everything done while working full-time! Thankfully, we can rejoice in God’s perfect timing! Peter has something to say about that, too.

It’s all relative to God. As Peter says, “A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” When waiting for answered prayer or even Jesus’ return, it’s helpful to remember God’s timing is always perfect. We are the impatient ones, with our desire for immediate gratification. Solomon’s wisdom tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Continue reading “2 Peter 3:1-18 – God’s Timing”

Isaiah 35:4 – What Are Your Fears?

“Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)

For me, one fear I can’t shake is my fear of heights. I’ve gotten past my fear of spiders by living in Mexico. That’s a good thing – they’re giants down here! But this verse isn’t limited to fears of that nature, but to our overall dread of the testing and temptation we will face in life.

Context (Isaiah 35:1-10): As a remedy for fear, Isaiah was given such a beautiful prophecy picturing the day of the Lord when all will be restored. We don’t have to fear when we remember what God’s victory looks like. For the Israelites also hearing of the coming doom, words of hope and everlasting joy would sound great. Isaiah’s own heart would be rejoicing from the promise. Continue reading “Isaiah 35:4 – What Are Your Fears?”

Mark 4:26-29 – Kingdom of God

Read Mark 4:26-29

Jesus again uses seeds to make his point. Describing the kingdom of God is tricky, and we often have a hard time wrapping our heads around what it truly means. We all have a picture of what a kingdom is–from fairy tales we read as a child or seeing news reports of what’s happening in the royal families of England or other nations with that type of rule.

So, what does this parable teach us about the kingdom of God? For me, I understand it as a beautiful mystery that’s hard to explain. We should be in wonder of it! Just like we marvel at how a seed, when planted, can become something entirely different.

Malachi 3:1-5 – Judgment Day is Coming

Read Malachi 3:1-5

This is often a text used during Advent in churches following the lectionary who prepare for Jesus’ coming around Christmas. As I read this, I pictured John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry. People hearing Malachi’s message would surely imagine Jesus in a different way.

The people first hearing Malachi’s words were far from faithful. They had started to believe that God didn’t care about them anymore. Their sin was total indifference to God, ignoring the covenant relationship that had existed for generations. The intimate relationship God craves with his children was non-existent in those days. Do we see that kind of intimacy today?

Zephaniah 1:14-18 – This Day

Read Zephaniah 1:14-18

Zephaniah’s oracle now shifts focus to “all” people, not just rebellious Judah. Churches today have coupled this passage with New Testament passages speaking of the final judgment. You may even recognize some of these images have become the lyrics in hymns and worship songs.

This day will be a day of bitter tears, men crying out, all while the Lord’s anger is poured out on all people. It’s not a pleasant picture at all. Yet, it is destruction we can anticipate will happen when the Lord’s Day finally arrives. Will we see it in our lifetime? Only God knows.