14 "The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast ..."
Zephaniah 1:14 (ESV)
We all have things that bother us. And at times we owe it to others to let them know what those things are. Before passing too much judgment, here are some of my confessions:
When I coach, play, or witness sports, these are things that really bug me:
Thinking the game is won or lost before it's played
Thinking that winning or losing with honor is irrelevant
Empty possessions (having good scoring opportunities and failing to convert, leaving too many runners on base)
Turnovers, giving your opponent more chances to score than you
Believing the whole cannot become greater than the sum of its parts
Wavering attitude and effort (in, but not all in)
Lack of love, humility, teachability in the journey
Things bother God too. And He lets us know ahead of time. I'm glad He does. I wanna know. I need to know. We're all better off knowing what bothers Him.
Here are three things the LORD shares in the book of Zephaniah that “bother” Him:
POWER/DELIVERANCE: It bothers God when we believe we can find power or deliverance in places other than in Him. It leads to our idolatry and His white-hot anger (Zephaniah 1:5,6).
SPIRITUAL ADULTERY: It bothers God when we commit to follow Him and then turn back to lesser things. It crushes Him when we seek Him no longer, failing to inquire of Him or ask His advice.
Dropping Him for someone/something else, even secretly, is as devastating as adultery (Zephaniah 1:6).
- IRRELEVANCE: It bothers God when we think, "He does nothing, neither good nor bad." It frosts Him to be so marginalized. Our unbelief in His goodness and worthiness devastates Him (Zephaniah 1:12).
Reflect: Where do you look for power? Is it in approval, performance or success apart from God? How well formed is your habit of inquiring of the LORD, seeking Him and His advice faithfully? Is the LORD irrelevant to you?
Aren't you glad you know what bothers God?
A prayer to consider: LORD, You are my deliverer, You were my deliverer, You will be my deliverer. There is no one like You. Don't let me exalt lesser things or pursue spiritual adultery.
Spirit of God, keep pointing me to Jesus. In Him I see power, deliverance, faithfulness, service, relevance and overcoming action. The only way I want to bother You is with my ceaseless praise, petitions, thanks and worship. Amen.
