“Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.” (Zephaniah 3:12, NLT).

Zephaniah’s prophecy graphically describes the future day of God’s judgment.

On “the day of the Lord” God’s terrible judgment will be carried out against the rebellious people of Israel and all nations of the earth.

So, God’s people must repent immediately in the hope of finding a place of refuge in that day. The faithful remnant of God’s people must be humble and patiently await God’s day of restoration (vs. 8), which accompanies the day of judgment.

Jesus expressed this same sentiment in the Sermon on the Mount: “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5, NLT).

The day of the Lord–the second coming of Jesus–can occur at any time and according to both Zephaniah and Jesus, the best way to be prepared for that day is to live humbly before God.

The humble will not only escape God’s wrath, they will reign with Jesus over the earth!

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11, NLT).