How to Embrace the Hidden Secret of Comfort Amid Life’s Tempestuous Journey
4Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
15The LORD has taken away your punishment;
He has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you;
no longer will you fear any harm.
16On that day they will say to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands fall limp.
17The LORD your God is among you;
He is mighty to save.
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
He will quiet you with His love;
He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3 (Berean Bible)
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On that day, He will quiet you with His love and will rejoice over you with singing. But what about today? Is He not mighty among us today as well? How do we embrace the hidden secret of comfort Now. Even amid our tempestuous life’s journey, is it not there with us? He who is the same today, yesterday, forever and always. Is He not among us? Mighty to save, rejoicing over each one of His beloved children with gladness. Is it not His wondrous love that can quiet or turbulent hearts as He rejoices over us with His singing.
Everything around us screams out the brokenness of this world and the world system in which we live at present. Our own lives are filled with chaos, always changing, with obligations, worries, and uncertainties. How can we maneuver life’s tempestuous journey. Even when we think we have it all together, something always steps in. It feels like our very souls are tossed to and fro. If only we could embrace the hidden secret of comfort only He can afford amid the chaos. Then we could soar above the worries and trials we face here on this earth. If only we could learn to rest in His love.
Life’s Tempestuous Journey in the days of Zephaniah
Such also was the world in which Zephaniah was living. He saw all the evil around him; yet, there was King Josiah. There was a glimpse of hope amid the darkness of the world around him. King Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Revival spread through the land. Then the word of the Lord came to Zephaniah and that word was one of certain judgement drawing closer with each day.
1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
2 “I will completely sweep away
everything from the face of the earth,”
declares the LORD.
3 “I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
and the idols with their wicked worshipers.
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth,” Zephaniah 1 (Berean Bible)
It was His people and His land that God spoke of here. His rage against sin certain and his people the worst of sinners. Although he was foretelling of the coming Babylonian conquest of His people, this declaration was far more global than just that. It foretells a judgement yet to come. One that weighs heavily on my heart these days.
Life’s Tempestuous Journey filled with Sorrow
1I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit. 2I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood, 4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen. Romans 9 (Berean Bible)
Yet, no amount of sorrow or anguish can transform a single soul. Those who seek after Baal and idols, worshiping self, the earth and the stars rather than God will perish. My tears and sorrow cannot change that. How is there any hope to embrace the hidden secret of comfort in this tempestuous life’s journey. His wrath and judgement is certain.
declares the LORD.
4 “I will stretch out My hand against Judah
and against all who dwell in Jerusalem.
I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal,
the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—
5 those who bow on the rooftops
to worship the host of heaven,
those who bow down and swear by the LORD
but also swear by Milcom,
6 and those who turn back
from following the LORD,
neither seeking the LORD. Zephaniah 1
God will not Be Silent Forever
God never remains silent forever. We look around and see idolatrous living. Wars and rumors of wars abound in the news We watch as our children and grandchildren are confronted with so many evil ideas. At times subtle and at other times blatantly in our faces. Their innocence of childhood being brutally from them, right before our eyes Voices of reason are muffled by the noise of the crowds. So how do we embrace hidden secrets of comfort amid life’s tempestuous journey? Zephaniah suggest we:
Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD,
for the Day of the LORD is near.
Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice;
He has consecrated His guests.
But who are His guests? Is it not as Jesus said?
Life’s Tempestuous Journey–the Hidden Secret of Comfort
Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37 He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. 42 And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matthew 13
Life’s Tempestuous Journey –Where is the Hidden Secret of Comfort Found?
8 “On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice
I will punish the princes,
the sons of the king,
and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.
9 On that day I will punish
all who leap over the threshold,
who fill the house of their master
with violence and deceit.
10 On that day,” declares the LORD,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second District,
and a loud crashing from the hills.
11 Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow,
for all your merchantswill be silenced;
all who weigh out silver will be cut off. Zephaniah 3
Not only will He judge those who perpetrate evil but also those who sit idly complacently while watching evil grow.
12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency,
who say to themselves,
‘The LORD will do nothing,
either good or bad.’
Jesus will Return to Reign in Jerusalem
The Lord will return for the rapture. Judgement will rain down on earth as every depravity of humanity comes full circle. The antichrist and beast will reign upon this earth with a global rule. At that time Jesus will take the scroll of the deed to earth. He will open the seven seals, the seven trumpets will sound, and the seven bowls of wrath will be poured out to cleanse the earth. Particularly this will be the final cleansing of God’s People—Israel. Only then will the remnant embrace the hidden secret of comfort amid life’s tempestuous journey.
The Great Day of the Lord is Near
14 The great Day of the LORD is near—
near and coming quickly.
Listen, the Day of the LORD!
Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.
15 That day will be
a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of destruction and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,
16 a day of horn blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities,
and against the high corner towers.
17 I will bring such distress on mankind
that they will walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD. Zephaniah 1
But to embrace the hidden secret of comfort, one must first know what this hidden secret is. The truth is it was neverhidden nor secret. It has been the theme throughout the ages. The only theme and word that matter is Jesus Christ. The perfect incarnate son of God the father, united in purpose with their very essence—the Holy Spirit. The three in one. So, let us turn to this prayer of Jesus that we might have hope in this world.
1When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. 2For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
He is all power, glory and dominion forever; yet, willingly paid our penalty and price. At that same time, he was preparing to face the unthinkable upon the cross—separation from Father and Holy Spirit for a time, bearing their wrath being poured out upon Him on our behalf. Even then, he paused to pray for us.
Prayer for the Disciples
6I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. 8For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
I told them the truth of who you are and who I am. They believed and on faith accepted every word. They belong to you just as they belong to me.
9I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours. 10All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified. 11I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You.
Therefore, I ask you:
Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one. 12While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Let them know the hidden secret of comfort amid this life’s tumultuous journey. Let your joy fill their hearts with steadfastness, abiding each step of the way.
13But now I am coming to You; and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them. 14I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Yes, we will face Life’s Tumultuous Journey. Even more tumultuous because they must remain to do the work for now. The evil one will continue to attack their hearts and minds in this broken world. But God is there every treacherous step of the way to uplight and uphold us by His mighty hand.
15I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. 18As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.
Prayer for All Believers
20I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—23I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.
24Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me. 26And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.”
When I Feel So Lost, Alone
When I feel so lost, alone
I turn my gaze upon His throne
He who for my sins did die
To rise again and justify
A wretched heart whose selfish pride
Could never set my Self aside
Until I saw a glimpse His gaze
It was there my heart was set ablaze
To know a love so greater still
That I might bow beneath His will
And when I feel so sad, so down
I then must look upon His crown
A crown of thorns once cut His brow
Exchanged for Glory that somehow
To there bestow on me His Grace
So as I gaze upon His face
Transform this wretched heart of mine
Unto His righteous Heart Divine
As step by step I bow before
The one who doth my life restore
For when I stop to see this world
The sorrow, pain evil has hurled
Upon the foolish, blind and lost
I then can see the depth, the cost
The weight of sin He chose to bare
For selfish ones who do not care
With hate-filled looks, their brazen stare
Whose hardened hearts do then declare
Themselves as kings yet all the while
Destroying all! Such Hate and guile
They think themselves so righteous wise
While cloaked with lies their one disguise
Oh, how I hate to see them Lord
Despising you in one accord
Yet, there I see your arms stretched wide
To bid them come to You, abide
Oh come repentant, sinner come
And bow before Your throne succumb
Unto Your Grace, Your love profound
To there sing praise, Salvation’s Sound
Broken and Sad
So broken, sad my desperate heart
Desires to leave this world, depart
To sit before Your precious throne
And bask within Your love alone
Broken, scarred, no strength, no might
To face the battles I MUST fight
It is there I hear your gentle voice
Bid me to stay and make the choice
To stand once more, Your truth my shield
As to they will I fully yield
In You I have the strength, the might
In darkness, You are my shining light
So, hold me tight within Your hand
That I might do all Your will has planned
Your love, your joy will fill each day
You will give my lips the words to say
So, I might then proclaim Your Glorious Grace
Help others see Your Lovely Face
So that the broken, lost alone
May then repent, make you their own
So all the lost, broken and sad
Come look upon His Cross be glad
For He who died to pay your way
Will come, abide with you today
You will find that there above all measure
He is the one, your greatest treasure
Who takes your lost and broken heart
To there indwell and never depart
His Love for You will never cease
That you might know His Joy and Peace
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
