11/06/2013 - LOST IN ERROR

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Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the LORD, she has not drawn near to her God.

Zephaniah 3:1-2

Just like Jerusalem, which was the joy of the Lord, the person who strays and no longer listens to the Lord is labeled a rebel, is polluted and oppressing. There is no peace for this kind of person; his/her future will be dark and hard and eventually he or she will be lost forever. I cannot understand how a people who saw the hand of God working in their favor countless times happened to despise the divine love. Opting for evil is always a disastrous choice.

The children of Israel symbolize those who are born into God’s family. They were slaves in Egypt and therefore they were not their own masters; they lived under the oppression of Pharaoh. Before we converted we were slaves of the enemy by nature; we lived under the direction of the forces of darkness, and no matter how much we strived with good works, we could not get out from under the yoke of the enemy.

Without the regenerating cleansing that God’s Spirit does in us, our soul, which was stained by Adam’s sin, is not free from the action of the forces of darkness. The spirit of rebellion dominates us with his whims and addictions and finally, oppression makes us his subjects. This spirit oppresses us and uses us to afflict others too. Those who are still under the rule of the empire of darkness may be led into doing absurdities.

Jerusalem would no longer hear God’s voice. The prophets announced the proximity of captivity, but its inhabitants did not understand that slavery could have been prevented – they had to repent. How many trials could the people of God have avoided if only they had sought the Lord with all their heart, repenting of their evil deeds? The Most High waits patiently for His children to return to the right path.

The “punishment” may be a divine blessing. When we stray from the path, we displease the Lord and He hides His face from us. Then we pray but our fellowship with Him is not restored. The Lord does this to us for our own good because if we continue in error and do not lose our peace, we do not seek Him and as a result many will be lost forever. It is so good when we understand His “punishment” and begin to trust Him.

If the oppressing city had understood the divine call, it would not have been taken into captivity. If the children of God did not yield to temptation, they would be forever kept and protected by the Keeper of Israel. If you are not in fellowship with God, come running back in order to be out of the reach of evil. Living under the divine hand is way better!

God invites you to draw near Him. So enter in sincere prayer right now and confess your sins. In so doing you will feel eager to know the blessed Word. Your soul will discover how good it is to live under the protection of Him who is truly and completely love (I John 4:16).

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares