Scripture Union Discovery 3rd March 2025 Devotional Message for Monday
Scripture Union Discovery 3rd March 2025 TOPIC: Seeking the Lord
Opening Prayer
Father, as I come before you, reveal to me where I am still living in darkness of thought or action. Please shine your light of love on me.
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Read ZEPHANIAH 1:1-13
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord
2 “I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord.
3 “I will sweep away both man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea—
and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”
“When I destroy all mankind
on the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord,
4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,
the very names of the idolatrous priests—
5 those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
and who also swear by Molek,
6 those who turn back from following the Lord
and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”
7 Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,
for the day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated those he has invited.
8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials
and the king’s sons
and all those clad
in foreign clothes.
9 On that day I will punish
all who avoid stepping on the threshold,
who fill the temple of their gods
with violence and deceit.
10 “On that day,”
declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the New Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, you who live in the market district;
all your merchants will be wiped out,
all who trade with silver will be destroyed.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who are complacent,
who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,
either good or bad.’
13 Their wealth will be plundered,
their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink the wine.”
Reflect
Zephaniah tells us to ‘be silent’ (v. 7)—so let’s give it a go! Focus your thoughts on God. Perhaps picture the cross or empty tomb. It may help to set a timer so you don’t clock-watch the silence away.
The beginning of Zephaniah’s prophecy is breath-taking as God speaks (vv. 2, 3), threatening to undo his promise to Noah (see Genesis 9:15). This doesn’t mean God can’t be trusted to keep his promises; it is an example of prophetic hyperbole, where a prophet exaggerates to show how serious something is.
Verses 4–12 catalog the sins of God’s people – and it’s quite the list. Zephaniah begins with idol worship (vv. 4, 5), specifically Baal (fertility cult), Molek (child sacrifice), and the stars. The people lived without reference to God (v. 6), following foreign customs (v. 8) and superstitions (v. 9; see also 1 Samuel 5:5). God’s people are supposed to be different, yet they were behaving just like everyone else.
But it’s verse 12 where this prophecy hits home today. Read it again. This warning is to God’s own people. How often do we live as though God ‘will do nothing, either good or bad’? How often do we live as though there will be no consequences?
Apply
Zephaniah tells us what God wants (v. 6). How might you ‘seek the Lord’ or ‘inquire of him’ with all your heart, in every decision and area of your life, not only when sitting quietly with your Bible notes?
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, convict me of anything I think or do that stands in the way of my living for God— of my putting him first always, of my worshipping him, or of my testimony before others about him.
Scripture Union Discovery 3rd March 2025 Devotional © 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved
