Zephaniah 3

“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.” Zephaniah 3:9 NIV

To purify is to extract something from or to remove contaminants from something. Water is purified so it can be useful in the medical, chemical, and industrial fields, as well as for human consumption. Gold is purified through a process of heat and after a few hours, the refiner can skim off the impurities.

Prior to the verse above, in verse 8 the Lord says, “I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them – all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger”.

The goal of purification is to ensure that the item is fit for specific purposes. Just like water and gold, we too, need to go through a process in order to be purified. Gold is purified to increase its value, while we are purified so that we can serve Him and thereby draw others towards Him.

May we submerse ourselves in God’s Word, the melting and refining pot. Humbling ourselves so that our impurities would be brought to the surface and into the light. Repenting so that those impurities can be removed. Making us more like Christ – useful for our Heavenly Father’s purpose.