“THE LORD YOUR GOD IS IN YOUR MIDST!”

 

Zephaniah 3:14-17                      (ESV)

Israel’s Joy and Restoration

    “[14] Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;

        shout, O Israel!

    Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

        O daughter of Jerusalem! 

    [15] The LORD has taken away the judgments against you;

        HE HAS CLEARED AWAY YOUR ENEMIES.

    The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;

        you shall never again fear evil. 

    [16] On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

    “Fear not, O Zion;

        LET NOT YOUR HANDS GROW WEAK. 

    [17] “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.””

Seeing the caption over the verses above (Israel’s Joy and Restoration) is a GREAT COMFORT to this lowly servant!  “THE LORD YOUR GOD IS IN YOUR MIDST” allows me to SEE that even though I am “the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15) of sinners, JESUS CHRIST will NEVER leave me (Hebrews 13:5-6)!  

Is it because I live my life in a WORTHY manner, free from the affects of sin?  Hardly!!!  I am astounded by HIS LOVE and MERCY that is forever restoring me into a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with HIM, even though I fail HIM daily!  

The third verse of “THE LOVE OF GOD” (1917) expresses so eloquently what is on my heart this morning:

“Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.”

“THE LORD YOUR GOD IS IN YOUR MIDST” is a PROMISE that I can NOT afford to allow “the enemy” to HIDE from my memory!  Even though my Exodus Journey carries me through various temptations and trials, remembering “THE LORD YOUR GOD IS IN YOUR MIDST” needs to be etched in my mind!  Having THE CREATOR with us is the GREATEST BLESSING of living for CHRIST!!!