wait on Him... Zephaniah 3:7-8...

"... I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction.

Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all

that I appointed against you.' But all the more they were eager

to make all their deeds corrupt.

"Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord, "for the day

when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision

is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms,

to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger;

for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. ..."

Zephaniah 3:7-8 ESV

In His grace... over and over...

He brings correction to our lives...

through the consequences of sin...

Yet... how often do we recognize it as grace...? 

Surely we would accept correction...

but no... we blame others...

blame Him...

blame anyone but ourselves...

for life's "misfortunes"...

If only we had eyes to see His grace...

we wouldn't lose our place in the world...

we wouldn't be sent into exile...

Instead... we are all the more eager to continue down the path of corruption...

The warning is sure...

wait for it...

because when we don't return to Him...

don't receive His grace...

destruction is imminent...

He is a jealous God...

He will not allow those He loves to be possessed by someone... something... else...

He will not allow His glory to be given to another...

His indignation will pour out...

His wrath consuming all the earth...

But there is a refuge for those who return...

for those who receive the grace of the cross...

where His anger... wrath... ire...

have been poured out in full...

on His Son...

For God has not destined us for wrath,

but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ...

1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV

He endured what we could not...

God's wrath...

By sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh

and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh....

Romans 8:3 ESV

Conviction... grace...

Consequences... grace...

Correction... grace...

When we see these graces...

we see our need for a Savior...

and are prepared to receive salvation...

... and to wait for his Son from heaven,

whom he raised from the dead, Jesus

who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV

With salvation we wait for His return with confidence...