Tag: Zephaniah

Devotional 193: He Will Rejoice Over You with Singing

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Zephaniah 3:1717 

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

At this time of year, with all that’s happening in the world to that which is taking place under our own rooftops, standing right in front of us, let us take a moment to reflect on the birth of Christ and what it means to us.

Indeed, what it means for us.

As those who place our faith in the grace and power of our Lord’s redemptive work to be reconciled to our Creator as the sons and daughters of G-d, all that we know, we inherited from the Father.

As we glorify Him in spirit and truth, thanking Him for our salvation, singing our hymns and carols, we are told that He also sings to us. Indeed, He sings over us, with rejoicing.

Think on it! Our Father, who knew us by name before He formed us in our mothers’ wombs, the One who chose to reveal Himself to us through the Gospel, sending His Son as our worthy emissary to intercede for our sins and bring us back to the source of everything, sings over us.

A baby in a cradle, upon hearing their parent’s voice as they approach, may smile when they see a familiar, loving face speaking words of love over them. And at night they’re comforted when the parent sings over them as they lay the child to rest.

When they are lifted up from the cradle in sure hands, their own hands will explore their parent’s face, and when pulled close, they rest their heads against their parent’s heart.

So today, as we lift up the Name of our Lord and Savior with rejoicing, so too does our heavenly Father lift up His children in our spirits, flesh, and soul with times of refreshing. He lifts up our countenance to see where He dwells, and sings over us with rejoicing to gladden our hearts.

Take a moment then, to lift your hands to Heaven and explore His face.

Grow still in His arms as He draws you closer to Him.

Rest in His presence as He holds you with an everlasting love, even as it grows dark, knowing He watches and sings over you to bring you through, or to dispel the dark so you might see Him rejoicing in You, and be assured that you are loved.

Therefore I pray:

In this season of early darkness, material emphasis, and pagan worldly rituals, let my focus be above the carols and bells, the commercial and false spirit of giving so that corporate profits are steep, and be fully undivided on the true meaning of Christmas.

A worthy Redeemer was sent and tested, and proved Himself worthy to judge me fit to enter the Kingdom of G-d, sinless and blameless, as He is himself.

I would enter into the Father’s rest only by His decree, to dwell forever in His presence to worship and glorify Him.

Great is the calling on my life as His servant. I too must be tested and proven worthy.

The consequences of my compromise, backsliding, rebellion, doubt, and unrepentance is eternal separation from him, in damnation, with the ultimate destruction of my very soul, as if I’d never been.

The testing is that the judgement is not immediate, but when it comes, it will be swift, just, and final, after I give an account for my actions.

My work in His name will also be tested, and those that withstand the refining fire of holiness will see me crowned and rewarded. Those that do not will see me deprived, as my falling short deprives the kingdom of greater glory.

This Christmas, as we feel the kingdom of Heaven at hand, and time drawing near, think on our legacies.

I long to hear, above all the bustle of this mortal, finite, existence:

“Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into your Father’s rest.”

I would have him sing over me that day, with rejoicing.

Let Your holy Word be sealed to my heart, and in my spirit, now and forever.

Amen.

Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Devotional 164: The Time of Visitation

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Luke 19:41-44

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Our Lord wept over Jersualem because of the relentless resistance, faithlessness, and rebuke of the religious leaders who relied on scholarly knowledge and loved the praises of man.

As we our now shut in, we see the pockets of resistance to something we’ve never encountered before that has hindered us, and in our earthly arrogance would think to throw off the chains it has placed around us.

In the midst of this, pastors are testing G-d, and some are even asking for donations of personal stimulus checks.

This could be the very hour Jesus comes to visit us not as the Lamb of G-d, but the Lion of Judah. We misread the signs of the times to our peril, and must be more discerning like the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32)

It is time to be silent before the Lord, to be obedient and practice wisdom that protects ourselves, our families, and our neighbors. There will be a renewing of our souls as well as the land if we can stay obedient to the call of not moving ahead of G-d’s will; it will not ever be superseded by the will of man. (Zephaniah 1:7)

Let us use this time to spend with our Lord, and recognize this as a time of visitation from Him to reset ourselves, repent of our sins, renew our faith, and renew our commitment to the narrow path that leads to life everlasting, even as we mourn with those who mourn, and rejoice with those who rejoice, not becoming wise in our own opinion. (Romans 12:15-16)

Let us not have Jesus weep over our arrogance, keeping in mind His warning that not everyone who says to Him, “Lord…” will enter into Heaven’s rest with Him. (Matthew 7:21) 

As we cannot know the hour of His return, let us at least discern the hour of His visitation.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus, 

   The hard teachings have now come to the fore during hard times. As Your followers, disciples, missionaries, ministers, artists, and those to whom You have revealed the Father in order that we might serve the kingdom, we ask that You grant us discernment to come to You and see what You would have us do, how to use our gifts, to point the faithless to the Father as they see our good works, and perceive our love for them and for each other. 

   We would not have this hour pass us by in idleness and distractions. Keep our lamps pure and clear, that we set nothing wicked before our eyes, and let us walk uprightly in our homes. (Psalm 101:2-3)

    We rejoice in the days we are yet given, if not the circumstances we find ourselves in at this time. Let us continue to offer praise to You and the Father, seeking through the Holy Spirit to remain connected to the True Vine. 

    Don’t leave us or forsake us, Lord. Forgive us our backsliding and lapses of faith. We would keep our hands on the plow, and not look back, and not turn back, for then we will not be fit for the Kingdom of G-d. (Luke 9:62) 

    It is a dark hour across the world, and we ask that You reach down to us to keep us in Your presence, lifted above the things of the world that hates us. Like Peter, in this hour we cry out, “Lord, save me!” and acknowledge, as He also did, that You are the Son of G-d to whom all authority has been given by the Father.

    We bow our knees, confess with our tongues, and rededicate ourselves to You in service, obedient to the calls on our lives as You finish the work You began in us.

     In righteousness, peace, and joy may we honor You.

     Amen.

Devotional 161: See That You are Not Troubled

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The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

I was going to title this devotional, “The Beginning of Sorrows,” for such, it seems, is the present time we live in with the pandemic. But having seen pictures and postings that feed fear and hysteria, panic buying, and extreme politics as each party blames the other for allowing this virus to slip through the cracks, so to speak, I thought it would be better to strengthen us as believers.

So many times, our Lord tells us not to be afraid,  as the Father spoke to Joshua when he lead the Israelites after Moses’ died. He also says that if we believe in Him and His work as the only way to salvation we shall see G-d, because by believing in Him, we believe in the Father who sent Him. (John 12:44)

It is the nature of prophecy to say what will happen, not when. But as the technology we now possess allows for further saturation at an ever faster pace around the world,  we watch the turn of events in nature, governments, finances, and the church itself as it grows cold, political, and falls away from His teaching, and perceive, like the woman at the well, that He is a Prophet.

Let us then continue to look for opportunities to tell others about Him, and why the peace we possess, while it is beyond their understanding, is not beyond their reach, for whoever calls on His Name will not be cast out. (John 6:37)

So today, Believer, take Him at His word and be at peace, take care of yourself, and by your patience, possess your soul, and peace of mind, body, and spirit will refresh you in the vine that sustains us all. (John 15:5)

Watch, pray, tell, and rejoice, then having done all you can, stand back and see what G-d will do.

Therefore I pray:

Father in Heaven,

Your Son has declared Heaven is Your throne and earth is Your footstool, so we are not to swear by it, for You are faithful to provide us Your bread for our and reward us for faithful service. (Matthew 5:33-34)

We ask, as voices in the wilderness preaching to a dying world, that we maintain possession of our souls, our peace, our families, and our earthly things. We pray hedges of protection around those we hold dear, for You value the people we do, the ones that You have given us to show your Light, share Your knowledge, and put them under Your anointing to do the Kingdom work to which they are called.

Let us take time out from the noise and tugs on our clothes that demand our attention, as the crowd pressed around You on every side, to remember that all You spoke will come to pass, and that it may be the Lord G-d will hide us in the day of His wrath as He deals with the faithless. (Zeph 2:3)

Abide in us, Lord, Your fruitless servants who seldom live up to even the basic standards, doing what is only our most basic duties. Cleanse and prune us once again to bear much fruit in Your Name, and to the Father’s glory.

In righteousness, peace, and joy may we honor You.

Amen.

 

Devotional 130: Sons of Light

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John 12:27-36

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross

27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am [a]lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you.Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

We, the unworthy, are indeed blessed to not only have the light, but the Light of the World.

Yet, we obscure His presence, His brilliance, whenever we backslide or doubt, whenever we say, “I’ll repent later.” Whenever we stray further from His Light, the darkness reaches out to us, and calls us from the strongholds, the weak spots, and the vulnerability of our minds to trigger our feelings, so that we ask, once more,

“Did G-d really say….?”

Who among us would not want to be known by the Messiah as a son / daughter of Light?

Yet how many times did the Father reveal Himself to Israel, dealing with their constant rejection, fear, and backsliding? So he sent them what they asked for, and told them of the price: True prophets they did not listen to, kings that oppressed them, and priests that profaned their office, all bringing calamity to the people who sought them to rule instead of the One who delivered them.

Through it all, His message was the same: Repent, return, and remain faithful.

But His mercy came with a caveat: “If you…”. So we can’t profess to love and serve Him if we are not meeting the conditions, for then we are lying before the Throne.

And yes, His mercies are new every morning, and His grace is sufficient for our weakness, but let us be mindful that as we seek the light, the day of His vengeance is coming.

There comes a time in every kingdom where the King must confront and deal with those who would have his throne, or steal the kingdom’s peace. But as we name our G-d ‘Almighty,’ isn’t His victory assured?

We’ve basked long in the year of His favor, seen His work in our lives through the atoning work of the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit, so as we see Christ’s prophecies unfolding we can be assured of this as well: the day of the Father’s wrath is imminent.

Jesus tells us that all authority has been given to the Son to judge, and He, by extension, has specifically named Moses, the Apostles, and the Queen of Sheba. (John 5:45),(Matthew 19:28),  (Matthew 12:42) as those who will assist in the accusations of the faithless and unrepentant.

He also tells us His judgments are true (John 8:16); let us then be mindful that there will be no defense we can mount against Him that is not His blood shed for our salvation. In these closing days, let us remember that the time of the Lamb of G-d is past, and the time of the Lion of Judah awaits us, coming at an hour we don’t know, on a day that will be seemingly ordinary. (Matthew 24:36-42)

Let us take special heed to the words that while we have the Light, and there is yet time, we plead His blood, turn from evil, remain faithful, and endure to the end. If we do, we may yet be hidden from in the day of the Father’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:3)

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

The people regarded You a prophet. How could He who known to the Father before the world began be anything else?

Time and again, you admonished Israel to take heed, but they would not, and so You extended the Father’s grace to us as well to remove His wrath from our sinful souls. As He made one blood for all nations, so too will He redeem and renew all creation, even a new Earth, to remove the stench of the prince of this world from it, and refresh Heaven as well.

So as we give thanks and praise to the Father for You, who are one in will, spirit, and purpose, we again cry out that You help our unbelief and strengthen us.

Do not harden our hearts and stop up our ears, that we may no longer believe and be cast into the outer darkness with the faithless, for the Word tells us that the hearts of men will be resistant even during the harvest (Revelations 16)

We seek You while You may be found to abide in You, that we have peace and enter into the Father’s rest. Rekindle us, that we may once again be salt…and light.

May it be done to us as You have said.

Amen.