The Book Of Zephaniah

– Ponderings:

I noticed yesterday that the trees are beginning to change. Truthfully, the leaves probably didn’t just begin to turn into their fall colors yesterday; it’s just that yesterday I happened to see them. Isn’t that the way life works? We go along lost in our own world and then suddenly see something as if we’ve never seen it before when it was right in front of us all along. Children – or grandchildren – are suddenly taller as if they grew two inches overnight. I swear (ok, not really swear) that I went from blond to gray in one day. And it seems like in just one week I went from being called “kiddo” to being “ma’am.” Does any of this ring a bell with you?

Sometimes, it’s the same way with my faith. I go along lost in my world and my thoughts and get so focused on just putting one foot in front of the other, that I lose sight of the divine. There’s a short verse tucked into the book of Zephaniah (not one many of us spend much time in, I bet) that says:

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

There’s so much promise in this one verse.

“God is in your midst.” Whether you see God or not in your day, God is with you. Whether you feel it or not, you are surrounded by God’s grace, love, and hope.

He is “a mighty one who will save.” There is more to living than the life we see. Believing this can have an incredible impact on how we view our future but, more importantly, it should change how we live today. You are a child of God.

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.” To rejoice over you means to rejoice in who you are. Do you believe that God rejoices in who you are? The world is focused on pointing out shortcomings and failures, trying to get us to buy those new, shiny things that will give our lives meaning and purpose and make us worthy of being loved. God believes that you are worthy as you are … and nothing will his mind. He rejoices over you today.

“He will quiet you with his love.” How often do you take the time to let God quiet your life with his love? God’s desire is to bring peace to the stress and worry of your world; that is, if you allow it to happen.

“He will exult over you with loud singing.” Can you envision God breaking into song over you? Parents sing to their children and brag to others about their children. God is singing – loudly – about you and doing so with a sense of elation and joy. It’s a song of unconditional love. Someday we will hear God sing our song, but today we can only imagine what that sounds like.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being with me every moment of my life. Help me to rest in your presence and to trust in your strength. Remind me today that you delight in me and that your love is constant. Fill my heart with peace as I hear the song of joy you sing over me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.