The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He
will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will
rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Old Testament is full of stories of the wayward
Israelites. They were God’s chosen people. He rescued them from bondage in
Egypt. He gave them the Promised Land. He destroyed their enemies. Yet they
repaid His love by worshiping other gods. They disobeyed the God who protected
and loved them through the years.
Zephaniah, a
contemporary of the prophet, Jeremiah, was sent to warn the Southern kingdom of
Judea. They would not heed God’s final warning to repent. They were taken
captive by the Babylonians and spent seventy years in exile.
The Minor Prophets
all referred to the day of the Lord. This term never refers to twenty
four hours. It is an indefinite period of God’s judgment. It applies to the
present generation and sometimes includes future generations.
The third chapter of Zephaniah gives hope to the remnant of
believing Jews. It also applies to another remnant, the New Testament church.
We are included in God’s family. Thank You, Lord.
Zephaniah 3:17 gives us four great truths. First, Our Lord
is mighty to save. We need no other god. Jesus Christ is the Savior. He alone
brings salvation. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me” ( John 14).
Second, God takes great delight in His children. How do you
feel knowing that the God of the Universe takes great delight in you? I know I
am humbled because I do things that cause Him grief. We were put here on Earth
to glorify and serve God. How many times do I let Him down? This verse makes me
want to bring Him delight instead of sorrow.
Third, the verse says that God will quiet us with His love.
Do you long for peace? I have a favorite verse I share with friends who are
going through trials. You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is
steadfast, because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3). Our Heavenly Father
‘s love gives us a quiet spirit.
Finally, He rejoices with us with singing. Imagine spending
eternity with a God who rejoices with us. I can’t imagine God singing, but He
can do anything. If He could appear in a burning bush to Moses, I’m certain He
can singl
Dear Father, Thank You for Zephaniah. His truths fill me
with joy and hope.
Janice Yandell
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