God is….

            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.

Zephaniah 3:17

With the news as it is recently you may be feeling a little bit unsettled, my prayer is that you may gain some comfort in God’s words through Zephaniah.

Who was Zephaniah.? He was a minor prophet in the who “probably prophesied around 630 BC.”[1]

He was prophesying to Judah as they were being raided by the Scythians. But it is important to note that “as Zephaniah prophesied in God’s name, he denounced the religious sins of Judah and the corruption rampant among both civil and religious authorities.”[2] So they were being attacked but were not innocent.

However, God does not leave them in their distress. Through Zephaniah he shows them that,” Punishment and fear will become things of the past, as God rescues his people from shame, handicap and exile. Israel will know herself truly secure and loved by God, and honoured by all the nations of the world.”[3]

When the world feels like an unsafe place, and worry begins to eat at you because you feel that you deserve it, remember that…

            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.

Zephaniah 3:17


[1] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Zephaniah, Book Of,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2191.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Andrew Knowles, The Bible Guide, 1st Augsburg books ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001), 385.

Our ever present help

 

altanaka (Tatiana Kostareva)

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” (Psalm 46:1–3, ESV)

Sometimes just getting out of bed, and facing what a new day brings, may feel like it takes more strength then we have left. Sometimes life’s cares and worries chip away at our peace, until the doubt and fear hold the place, that faith and peace used too reign supreme. 

No matter the problems we face, or the reasons behind them, the truth is that the creator of the universe, the one who hung the stars and who put the moon into place, wants to carry our load. 

God is our refuge and strength – Just like a small child will run and hide behind a parent when they are scared, we must remember that we have someone to run to. We need to get in the habit of running to God first (not to people to complain or share worries), and trust that he has the strength to keep us safe.

a very present help in trouble – Whether we are in a season of blessings or in a season where everything seems to be going wrong, we have to know that we are not going through it alone. God is with us. As we turn to God in times of distress and ask him for help, he will not let us down.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling  Fear comes from Satan, therefore it is a sign that we have not allowed God’s peace to invade our thinking.  We need to be so faith filled that though earthquakes, and volcanoes, and tsunamis sized problems come,  the peace of God in us will surpass understanding and keep us from fear.

Selah It is good to regularly pause and think about how faith filled we are verses how fear filled our actions may show us to be.

Father God,Show me the areas where I have let fear eat away at my faith. Help me to know you more and to keep my eyes on you, so that my faith may be strengthened. Help me to remember that you are always with me, and remind me often, lest I forget, that I am your beloved child and that you will not turn you back on me as I look to you.In Jesus name I pray! Amen