A message of hope

"At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes." says the Lord. Zephaniah 3:20 The message of doom in the beginning of the book of Zephaniah becomes a message of hope by the end. There will be a new day when God will bless His people. If the leaders in the church today were to hear a prophet of God, the message would probably resemble the book of Zephaniah. Under Josiah's religious reforms, the people did return to God outwardly, but their hearts were far from Him. Zephaniah encouraged the nation to gather together and pray for salvation. We must also ask ourselves: are the changes in our lives merely an outward show, or are they changing our hearts and lives? We need to gather together as believers and pray, to walk humbly with God, to do what is right, and to hear the message of hope regarding the new world to come. God Bless you, J.H.