As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. (Obad. 15)
Some events in life scare us. For some, it is the big game. For others, it is the big presentation, test, or interview. One common feature of fearful events is the uncertainty of the outcome. If we could look into the future, after the big event, we would be able to prepare ourselves for the result—whether positive or negative.
Throughout the Prophets, the day of the Lord is one of those big events that can easily be feared. But here is the good news: God tells us the end result of the day of the Lord , and he also provides a roadmap as to how to prepare for this big day. First, Scripture informs us that the Lord will prevail. Second, Obadiah reminds us that we will be judged according to our choices. Those who stand in relationship with God and in the midst of his will are to be blessed, and those who stand outside of a relationship with God will be judged.
The day of the Lord, for those who live in relationship with God, should not be viewed with fear, but with eager anticipation of the Lord showing up. For God has pronounced that the day of the Lord is to be a day of victory for those who have chosen to live their life in accordance with God’s Word.
Live for God and fear not the Lord’s return.
Brian T. Bernius is an ordained minister and professor of Old Testament and Near Eastern Studies at Indiana Wesleyan University.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
