Near and Hastening Fast

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read Zepheniah 1:14-2:3 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

There are lots of ways we find ourselves passing time, waiting…

Zephaniah speaks with urgency... ‘The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast’ (v.14). He describes a time of reckoning, when darkness falls and things are shaken to their foundations. Yet even in such sobering words, hope is offered: ‘Seek the Lord… seek righteousness, seek humility’ (v.3). God’s call isn’t to instil fear but to draw us into deeper relationship with Him. His justice is always joined with mercy, and His desire is to restore His people to life. The prophet speaks not only to individuals but to the whole people of God, judgement, and renewal belong to all creation, not just our private struggles.

In hospital chaplaincy, I often see how our sense of time changes in moments of crisis. For some, days drag while waiting for recovery. For others, time feels sharpened, precious, urgent. A difficult diagnosis can alter the way time is experienced, bringing both change and clarity. In those moments, what is most precious comes into focus: family, friendships, faith, small mercies of each day. A brush with illness or frailty can reawaken us to life’s sacredness. In much the same way, Zephaniah’s words bring us to a point of realisation, life is fragile, time is short, and the call to turn back to God is too important to delay.

The “Day of the Lord” is not simply about wrath, but about renewal, fulfilled in Christ who invites us into His gift of mercy, repentance, and new beginnings. Just as illness can awaken gratitude and sharpen love, so God’s judgement opens the door to healing, hope, and life made new.

In the hospital, I often see how people, even in difficulty, rediscover what is most precious. Those moments I witness at the bedside, when love and faith shine brightest in weakness, remind me that God meets us in both our vulnerability and our hope. Zephaniah calls us to the same fresh perspective, an invitation to treasure what truly matters, leading us into freedom, hope, and faith renewed.