Responding In Faith

This morning I was reading my BiblePromise for the day and this verse from Zephaniah came up:

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your punishment, He has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, ‘Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 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 3:14-17

What a beautiful thought!  I do not need to fear for the Lord my God is with me!  I have a dear friend who since the birth of her little girl some eighteen months ago, has become consumed with fear.  Her fear is literally controlling her life.  Every ache and pain becomes a major illness in her mind.  She is consumed with fear of death.  With much prayer, encouragement and Christian counseling, she is overcoming the spiritual warfare that has been going on inside of her.  In Isaiah 41 it says, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you,” (41:13).  Isaiah 43:5 goes on to say, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”  God is so good to us.  His word is so full of encouragement and wisdom and direction for our lives. 

Zephaniah goes on to tell us that “He is mighty to save.”  God wants us to walk close with Him.  He wants our whole heart.  He wants us to be free.  Part of the freedom is succumbing to God.  Knowing that it is God who is in control.  But it doesn’t end their, my friends!  “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,” (Zephaniah 3:17).  God will take great delight in YOU!!  Is that not beautiful?  God will delight in us, the Creator of the heaven and the earth wants to delight in each of us!!  And while delighting in each of us, if we choose to listen to His quiet whispers, He will quiet our inner most being with His love!  That love that is so hard for us to even grasp!  The love that is wide and long and high and deep!  BUT it doesn’t end there!!!  God will “rejoice over you with singing” (verse 17).  I can not even imagine!  My God rejoicing over me with singing!  My heart is over flowing with so much joy.  My God both delights in me and will rejoice over me with singing!  Any fears or doubts that I have in my mind need to be released to Him.  God wants you and me to be free from any bondage!  He wants us to truly experience His love in our lives.  Fear prevents that.

I found this picture on the Internet that was painted specifically for these verses from Zephaniah.  I really connect with this picture.  It is such a beautiful image of God’s word!

Zephaniah 3:14-17
Gwen Meharg
Watercolor-22 x 30 unframed HeArts Gallery

I hope that you will be able to Sing O daughters and sons of Zion!  For the Lord is so good! He wants to set each of us free so that we can truly experience Him!