How blessed I am with God’s word from the prophet Zephaniah, during the exile period, announcing gifts to save, delight, love and rejoice over me with singing. Only because God is committed to give, can Zephaniah look ahead with confidence and exultant song, that a remnant of Judah, despite infidelities, will be brought home and restored to favor in Zion. These verses apply to each of us because God is faithful, even when we are not.
God certainly knows we are not perfect and that we often get frustrated and overwhelmed with those we are giving care to. Our own ‘exile period’ can include chronic illness (ours or our loved ones,) with unending struggle and daily disappointments. When human answers disappoint us, that doesn’t leave us without hope. There is only one safe place to put our hope and that is where God reminds us “He is mighty to save.”
There are many verses about healing in the New Testament. In Luke 8:43-44, the woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years, boldly touches the tassel on Jesus cloak and immediately her bleeding stopped. There is power to heal with a touch, even while illness lingers. We need these reminders to reach out for God’s love to quiet and strengthen us and perhaps this may be necessary even multiple times a day. The more of God in our life, through staying close, the more at peace we will be and the more God can use us to bless others.
When I look back on my life, I can see God was (and continues to be) with me each step of the way – shielding me from dangers, removing obstacles and straightening out many a path. Too often, I try to get ahead of God and recently in prayer, I had a positive reinforcement, ‘to trust God enough to let Him lead!’ As we know, God’s love is what carries us, no matter what difficult circumstances we are going through. Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are My thoughts above your thoughts.”
It is a warm feeling to know that God rejoices over me with singing, whereas I am usually berating myself for not being all I want to be. My focus will need to adjust to God’s thoughts and the words of Scripture. If God can delight in me, as His creation, who am I not to? There are countless Scriptures that help us to trust God’s ways are the better ones. For example, Psalm 27:1-3, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom am I afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, these my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall.” Sometimes the enemy is me and gratefully, the reminder that God is delighting in me, just the way I am, not the way I want to be, gives me hope for better days.
Have you accepted all God’s gifts and let Him mold and strengthen you? We welcome all comments.