Tag: God’s delight
God’s delight in His people!
Scripture reading for September 25th: Zephaniah 1-3
“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save, He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.“ Zephaniah 3:17
Zephaniah was a prophet around 630 B.C. during the reign of Josiah, a good king of Israel. God warned that He would sweep everything from the face of the earth. (Zephaniah 1:2-3) He was going to take man completely from the face of the earth, and the animals, birds, and fish in the sea as well! That sounds similar to the great flood of Noah’s day! Even God’s people were worshiping Baal, the Canaanite fertility god. Some of the priests were worshiping Molech and the starry host using astrology. (Zephaniah 1:4-5)
Astrology is popular today in America. Almost every newspaper has a horoscope and some people seek it daily in an attempt to order their lives by the stars. Many follow the bad example of Judah in Zephaniah’s day, and turn away from following the true God. They are complacent or have followed gods of convenience and pleasure. (Zephaniah 1:12)
Zephaniah cried out to this complacent and sinful people that their appointed time was coming. Trouble, clouds, darkness and death were on the horizon. Their money could not save them on the day of wrath that would come suddenly. (Zephaniah 1:17-18) The only remedy offered by Zephaniah was to seek the Lord with humble hearts. Those who responded would be sheltered by the Lord. (Zephaniah 2:2-3)
We know from history that the young king, Josiah, turned to the Lord and led a revival that removed the idols and cleansed the land. He likely was responding to this prophet’s strong preaching. When we repent, God relents! He would rather be mighty to save us than mighty to judge us! He takes great delight in His people and desires to quiet us in His love. He rejoices over us with singing! Picture God spinning around in delight singing a song of joy over our return to Him! (Zephaniah 3:17) God is so merciful! Why not turn to Him today before the coming “day of the Lord”?
Truth and Love!
Scripture reading for December 21st: 2nd John
John wrote two shorter letters to those in the church that he loved. In this second letter, John writes to the elder, a chosen lady and her children. He writes to encourage them to walk in love and in the truth. John had written in his Gospel that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) As the truth, Jesus embodied all truth and everything that was righteous. Satan was a liar, with no truth in him! (John 8:44) John also wrote that God is love and that He so loved the world that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to bring salvation to whoever would believe on Him. (John 3:16)
There is a balance between love and truth that believers must be aware of. God wants all His children to walk in love and to love each other. This does not mean that our love just naively accepts anyone who believes or teaches what is contrary to the truth. Our love must be tempered by truth. False teachers were trying to seduce some of the members of the early church that John had labored to build.
“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. . . .If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.” (2nd John 7-8,10-11)
The false teachers were gnostics, people who did not believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. The were secretly introducing heresy into the church. Although God’s people are loving, we love in truth and cannot welcome those who are false teachers into our fellowship. This is a loving thing to do to protect the church and our own souls! John taught that when we welcome the false teacher or false apostle into our homes, we share in his or her wicked work and lose our own reward! That is serious teaching that should make us all cry out for discernment! The last days are marked by deception and false teaching! Check your own love and truth balance today as you re-read this short epistle!