A Big Deal
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ (Zephaniah 1.12)
My chest was heavy with pain. My arms hurt and my fingers tingled. I didn't want to make a big deal of it. "This will pass like before," I thought. "Besides, they won't do anything." After the pain persisted for several hours, however, I decided (upon the insistence of my wife and daughter!) it was time to call the doctor. He said, "Get to the hospital immediately." Before I knew what was happening, I had all manner of people making a big deal of it! Tests were run, needles inserted, blood drawn, and medicine administered.
In Zephaniah, God saw the hearts of his people and made a big deal of it...
Search. Just as I had many tests to determine what was happening with my heart, God needed to shine the light upon his people to show them the condition of their hearts.
Shape. My family and my physician knew that I was a bit too complacent about my heart. God saw that his people were complacent, too. Like me, they needed attention. The word "punish" in this verse has a connotation of "attend to." God attends to us to shape us.
Stir. I needed a wake-up call so that I could make some changes: adjust my medicine, lose a little weight, get more exercise and rest, and respond quicker if something happens again. So, too, the men of Jerusalem needed to realize what was at stake and so be stirred into action.
The next day, I went home with some stern words from my family and my doctor: "Don't ignore this again. It's a big deal." Are we making a big deal of the condition of our hearts?
"Search me, O God, and know my heart today. Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me. Cleanse me from every sin and set me free." Amen. (J. Edwin Orr)