When I picked up my Bible this morning, it was opened to Zephaniah, although I wasn’t previously reading this book, and immediately my eyes were drawn to the heading Final Restoration Promise. 

Don’t you just love those moments when Jesus leads us to a specific verse, chapter, or book in the bible? For those who know me well, restoration is my heart-cry for all and full restoration from life difficulties and hardships comes only through Jesus. Okay, back to what I was starting to share with you 🙂

These words drew me in and I began to read God’s promise to His people. Of course, I then had to go and read the whole book of Zephaniah to understand the context. There is one particular verse that leaped out to me and I paused, reread, and looked at different versions for the fullness to absorb into my spirit of what God was saying. 

Let’s read this verse together,

Zephaniah 3:17 CSB

The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.

In this verse alone there was so much that ministered right to my need and brokenness and I love when God speaks and breathes life directly into us, don’t you? The Lord your God is among you. Other versions say God is with you, is living among you, and is in your midst. 

Oh, what hope and reassurance one needs to hear when they are facing difficult situations because we can often feel alone and forgotten. Here God is saying, I am with you! You, my child, are not alone. God doesn’t stop there though in His encouragement and hope, as the verse continues to describe God as a warrior. 

When I read these words, immediately I had a vision of a mighty warrior standing tall and strong as my protector in the midst of what I am facing in life. With one arm raised holding a sword and the other arm protectively around me, I felt safe. The scripture Romans 8:31 comes to mind if God is for us who can be against us. 

There are times in our lives we need to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that someone is on our side, fighting for us. Today is one of those days for me. How about you? Knowing that God, our mighty warrior, is not just standing with us, but He is the warrior who saves brings such reassurance to my heart. Lord, today we need saving. Saving from difficult life circumstances, saving from trials that beat us down and make us weary, and saving from the ongoing battles. Lord, thank you for being with us and for saving us from whatever we are facing today. 

There is something about music that quiets the soul, it calms our mind and spirit, and helps us to get our focus back on God and off of what we are facing. In the next sentence of this verse God ministers to our deep needs through music. He is rejoicing over you and me with gladness and joy. God’s joy is contagious and it is our strength. The joy of the Lord is our strength and right now, whatever you or I am facing, God is singing over us with gladness. 

Here’s the thing friend, we need to pause in the middle of our mess, in the middle of our battles, and tune our ears to hear God singing life over each of us. Our circumstances often speak of defeat, hopelessness, and death, however, God speaks life over each of us. It is then our souls become quieted by God’s endless and abounding love. Our focus goes off of the battle and peace wraps around our souls like a warm fuzzy blanket. Our minds begin to rest, our bodies begin to relax, and our focus shifts to who our God is and not to what we are facing. 

Today, let’s take the time to pause, regardless of the busyness of life or the hurdles we are facing and tune our ears to God. Allow God to minister to you and over you. It is in this place God renews our soul, adjusts our focus, and speaks life and direction to us for whatever we are facing. 

 
Pause, listen and know God is here for you!

I would love to hear from you what God spoke to you as you read this devotion and scripture! Let’s chat and be sure to comment below ?⬇️?