This passage is a powerful declaration of God’s saving Presence, protective strength, and joyful love towards His people. A few verses prior, Zephaniah refers to the “King of Israel is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.”…pointing to Christ’s future coming. (John 1:49) And it’s by God’s steadfast love and mercy for His people that this covenant remains, despite our waywardness. (Micah 7:18) For God promised our covenantal relationship with Him wouldn’t be broken by sending His only Son to die on a Cross on our behalf.
” I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” John Newton
In this very honest and transparent quote from John Newton, we can all nod our heads in quiet agreement. By human nature we are all corrupt, depraved, and evil…with Romans 3:23 reminding us that, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” And because of this, Paul lamented, “I don’t understand what I do. For what I want to do I don’t, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15) But we also know that by our redemption and transformation through Christ Jesus we are new creations…the old is gone, the new has come. (II Corinthians 5:17) and we have an eternal home in heaven. (II Corinthians 5:1) And as Newton ended, “And by the grace of God I am what I am.” …we know that’s it only by God’s grace that we’re saved, renewed, and restored back into right standing with Him. (Ephesians 2:5)
Ecclesiastes 3:11 ” He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
God in His Sovereignty has made everything fit together flawlessly…for His timing is always perfect. When it says that He has set eternity in our hearts it means that we have a God-given awareness that our life is much more than what this temporal world has to offer…thus possessing an innate longing for meaning, permeance, and connection with the divine. Maybe you’ve heard it called a God-shaped hole in our heart that only He can fill. In Romans 11:33, the Apostle Paul stood in awe of God’s infinite wisdom, knowledge, and sovereign decision-making when he wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” So as Believers, we can only trust Him when His ways seem mysterious…always remembering that His judgments are unsearchable, His wisdom perfect, and His ways impossible for us to fully comprehend.
Amos 7:7-8 ” This is what He showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord asked me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ ‘A plumb line,’ I replied.”
This passage depicts God using a plumb line to measure Israel…symbolizing His righteous standard and impending judgment for their persistent sins. Now a plumb line was a weight at the end of a line used by builders to get an exact vertical alignment of walls straight up and down. God was using His plumb line to show just how far off His people had wandered, and was now holding them accountable for their continued corruption, injustice, and idolatry. But this plumb line also serves as a metaphorical call to Believers today for self-examination. We need to ask ourselves, are there areas of our lives that need to be brought back into realignment with God’s standards of truth, justice, righteousness, and moral integrity? For just as God never changes, His plumb line will always be straight by way of His Word.
Romans 13:11-12 ” And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our Salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
As Believers, we need to wake up spiritually from our smug and apathetic slumber. Here, the Apostle Paul warns us against living a more worldly than godly lifestyle. Now, he’s not talking about what we would call the traditional “big” sins…but rather the subtle, insidious ones that we harbor deep in our heart such as jealousy, pride, greed, and envy. Today we live in the “night” of this present age, where the “armor of light” is essential to battle against the deception and corruption of a world where’s it’s so easy to be sucked into things we know are wrong. They say you should never bring a knife to a gun fight… likewise, you should never face the world’s darkness sleepy, defenseless, and ill-equipped.
Acts 28:26-27 ” Go to this people and say, you will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has been calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”
We find Paul under house arrest in Rome, explaining to Jewish Leaders the Gospel Message and how Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies of old. Here he is quoting Isaiah 6:9-10 to the group of doubters and unbelievers. Paul then concluded his stinging remarks with this declaration, “Therefore let it be known to you that this Salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” (Acts 28:28) This was the closing of the Way to those who were rebellious, proud, and hypocritical…but opening the Way to the humble, poor, and marginalized. It was a very pivotal turning point in Paul’s Ministry and humanity as a whole, for now Salvation was for all people, and fulfilled God’s promise to bless every nation.
Isaiah 10:20 ” And they will truly rely on the Lord.”
Jesus urges all of us in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to Him and He will give us rest when we’re exhausted, pressured, or crushed by the weight of the burdens we’re trying to carry alone…especially when we’re not only carrying our own, but the responsibilities of another. I woke up this morning to a old 70’s song by Bill Withers running in my head, the lyrics going, “Lean on me when you’re not strong. And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.” Yes, it might have been a Secular song…but I heard Jesus singing it to me. So today, as I look on all the burdens I’m trying to carry, I will again seek the Lord…knowing that true reliance can only be found in Him…and I will learn to lean.
Proverbs 29:25 ” Whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”
When I find it difficult to hear from God it’s usually because I’ve already made up my mind what I want Him to say. Thus, I’m leaning on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) It’s also called Free will…Where I have the ability to choose whatever I desire… based on what seems good at that moment. And many times, I’ve already decided what to do, I just want God to approve of it. But that’s not how God works…and Jeremiah 17:5 makes it clear that anyone who places their primary trust in human strength (theirs or others) is under God’s Divine curse. We can’t rely on our limited wisdom, strength, or abilities rather than trusting in God’s unlimited resources. That’s because true security and blessing only come from our wholehearted trust in God’s Will and Way.
Jeremiah 23:29 ” Is not My Word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? “
When Jesus said, ” The very Words I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life.” (John 6:63) He revealed that the Truth of God’s Word was absolute, unmistakable, and all powerful. It is able to enter the deepest recesses of a person’s being as it works to bring about good in their life. (Hebrews 4:12) Charles Spurgeon put it this way…”The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of men are smashed.” The Truth of God’s Word will always expose man’s falsehood and deception, and break down human stubbornness…for no evil can stand before it.
“If you’re going to be used by God, He will take you through a multitude of difficult experiences, asking you to participate in the sufferings of Christ.” Oswald Chambers
Psalm 23:4 reminds us that, “Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Sufferings are designed of God to make us useful in His hands, and giving us divine perspective into what takes place in the lives of others. But we like to get out of those sufferings anytime we can…taking shortcuts of our own design rather than accepting God’s way that is always the “long road home.” I Peter 4:13 encourages us then, ” Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” So remember, it may not be “joyful” in the moment, but by going through those sufferings, you will be identified and united with Christ Jesus…and in that alone you will find joy.(Romans 8:17 and II Corinthians 1:5)
