Monthly Archives: February 2023

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RESTORED FORTUNES

ZEPHANIAH 3:20

“‘At that time I will bring you in, even at the time when I gather you together; indeed, I will make you famous and praiseworthy among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,’ says the LORD.”

One of my kids’ favorite movies growing up was “The Goonies.” These kids discover this hidden pirate treasure deep within the underground coves beneath their city. Of course, you have to throw in some bad guys who are also trying to get the treasure. It is a humorous and suspenseful movie that ends with the bad guys getting caught and the kids getting rescued. The big “fortune” wasn’t achieved, but they were returned home.

Zephaniah ends his book by sharing God’s final words to His people. He is bringing them back in. He is gathering them home. He even tells them that others will praise them as He makes their name known. Then He tells them the best news. He is going to restore their fortunes. That is really saying, according to the Hebrew text, that He is going to return all the captives. They are coming home!

APPLICATION

What have you lost and are waiting on it to be stored? Maybe it is your health. I can relate to that, having gone through two stem cell transplants. Perhaps it is your financial stability. You may have lost a job or lost money in the market. You may be the parent of a wayward child that you are waiting to return. We all have something in our lives that we want restored.

Probably my most favorite verse about restoration is Psalm 51:12. “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Of course, Psalm 51 is David’s prayer to the Lord, begging forgiveness and restoration.

Before you throw stones at David, why do you need restoration?  We have all fallen short, haven’t we (Romans 3:23). Our Lord is a Lord of restoration. He desires to restore us just like He did in the days of Zephaniah. One big difference we have is Jesus. His Son is the instrument of restoration. Whether you are coming to Him for the first time or the tenth, He will restore you to the place you need to be.

I am so thankful for Your powerful restoration in my life. I praise You for bringing me back to You.

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Appointed, Bible, Promises, Scripture, Service, Shame

APPOINTMENT

ZEPHANIAH 3:19

“‘Behold, I am going to deal at that time with all your oppressors; I will save those who limp and gather the scattered, and I will turn their shame into praise and fame in all the earth.’”

Every election cycle in the U.S., changes occur. New appointments are made by the President. He names Cabinet members, Ambassadors and other staff members. Those appointments carry with them the power of their office. This person may have never served in such a high position. But now they have been recognized and placed in service.

The Lord says in today’s verse that He “will turn their shame into praise and fame.” That can also be translated as He appointed them. He raised them up. He put meaning into their lives. The lame and scattered will be brought together by Him and made famous in all the earth. Wow! What an incredible promise!

APPLICATION

What has the Lord appointed you to do? For what purpose has He lifted you up? A passage just popped into my head. They are some of my memory verses. Galatians 6:9-10 reads, “9 Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Is this why He has saved you?

If you are a believer, God has appointed you. He has called you, not only to receive salvation, but to also use that gift to bless others. You have heard it said that our faith is personal, but it is not private. We are appointed to share it. We have been placed in our positions in Christ for a purpose. We are not saved to just wait on eternity.

So, what are you doing with your appointment? All that shame that weighed you down before has been washed away by the blood of Christ. He wants to use you for kingdom work. What are you waiting on? Ask the Lord what He is up to and then get involved in it. Make your appointment as one of His children count for something.

Lord, I am so thankful for salvation. Now, use me as You see fit.

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Abiding, Battles, Bible, Grief, Scripture, Sorrow

SORROWFUL

ZEPHANIAH 3:18

“‘I will gather those who are worried about the appointed feasts—they came from you, Zion; the disgrace of exile is a burden on them.’”

Some things grieve my heart. When I see a child that has been abused, I grieve over the pain they have suffered. When I see injustice around me, I grieve for justice to be done. When I see a loved one suffering due to a loss in their life, it grieves me. Have you grieved over anything lately? Grief affects us all differently, doesn’t it?

In today’s verse, we see the Lord saying He would “gather those who are worried.” The Hebrew meaning of the word that is translated “worried” is sorrowful, grieving or afflicted. That really changes this verse, doesn’t it? I believe “worried” is not the best translation for this word. This remnant wasn’t just worried. They were grieving “about the appointed feast.” They were broken-hearted.

APPLICATION

Paul writes to the Thessalonians and says in his first letter “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope.” Sure, we grieve but not like the world. Our grief is soothed by our Lord Jesus. He knows our pain and heals us.

As I said earlier, grief affects each of us differently. Some people get stuck in their grief for decades. Others seem to push through it in months. The circumstance that caused the grief can determine the longevity of the grief and sorrow also. Take a moment to examine your life. Are you grieving over something right now? Is there anything you can do to end your grieving? Is there someone you can talk to?

Matthew 11:28-30 is a perfect passage for us regarding our suffering and grief. “28 ‘Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light’” Rest in Him.

I am thankful, Lord, that my grief does not depend on me to end. I come to You, the Healer of my soul.

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Bible, Joy, Reconciled, Rejoicing, Salvation, Scripture

HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU

ZEPHANIAH 3:17

“‘The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.’”

Children need their parents to show them praise. They need to know how proud their parents are of them. This can be done with words or deeds, but however it is done, it must be done. The absence of praise or rejoicing in a child’s life can have lifetime effects. Don’t underestimate how much your child needs this. They probably will never ask for it. Just do it.

Don’t you just love today’s verse? God, the One who made all things, the One who redeemed you from your sins, He rejoices over you. He rejoices over you with shouts of joy. Can you believe that? Shouldn’t we be doing that towards Him? Of course, we should. But He also rejoices over us. What a glorious thought!

APPLICATION

Those days when you are feeling lowly, remember this. He loves you with an everlasting love. His love is eternal. It will never end. There is nothing you can do to cause Him to stop loving you. He loved you while you were His enemy. Listen to these words from Paul in Romans 5:10-11. “10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Did you catch that second verse? We also celebrate. So, while God is rejoicing over us with joy, we are rejoicing that we have been reconciled back to Him. We rejoice because He rejoices. He rejoices when we rejoice. Doesn’t that give you something to shout about today?

Celebrate Jesus today. He is celebrating you. He loves you so much and wants you to know that. If He were here today (and He is through His Holy Spirit), He would be telling you that to your face. Listen to the Spirit that is within you. He is telling you the same thing. “My beloved, I rejoice in you.”

I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You, O my soul rejoice.

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Battles, Bible, Devil, Evil, Fear, Scripture, Strength

LIMP HANDS

ZEPHANIAH 3:16

“On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not be afraid, Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.’”

I have had the opportunity to meet a number of college and pro athletes in my life. These guys are impressive with their size and physical builds. Standing next to most of them I felt like a dwarf. I have seen what they could do on the football field or basketball court. One of those athletes, though, had the limpest handshake I have ever felt. It was like shaking hands with a dead fish. No grip, no firmness. It just did not match his physique at all.

God promises His people strength in today’s verse. He says, “Do not be afraid, Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.” The Hebrew word for “limp” means to relax or sink. Now put that in the verse. God was saying to them to have no fear, don’t sink down or relax. You see, God knew they were going to face more challenges, so they needed to stay strong and show no fear. He was with them.

APPLICATION

We often fall into that trap of sinking or relaxing. Let me remind you that we cannot afford that luxury. Luke 4:13 comes at the conclusion of Jesus’ testing in the wilderness by Satan. He had given Jesus his best shot and failed to cause Him to sin. Did he give up? I don’t think so. Look at the verse. “And so when the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.”

We can’t have limp hands when it is time to battle the forces of evil. If the devil plotted an “opportune time” against the Son of God, you had better believe he is plotting against us. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Strengthen your hands! Gird up and prepare for battle today. This is not an attempt to put fear in you. In fact, my purpose is just the opposite. We have the Supreme Commander leading us. Why should we fear? But we have to prepare ourselves through prayer to wield the Sword of God, His Word, in combat against those opposed to the kingdom. Grab your sword, beloved.

I am thankful that through daily wielding of the Word, my hands are strong and not limp. 

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Abiding, Bible, Compassion, Holy Spirit, Scripture

IN YOUR MIDST

ZEPHANIAH 3:15

“‘The LORD has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you will no longer fear disaster.’”

Being with someone you really care about is special. I remember when my wife and I were “courting” before we got married, we couldn’t wait to be together. We only dated two and half months before we got married, and we spent every moment we could together. Being in the midst of each other was important.

I love what the Lord says here in verse 15. He tells His people that He will be “in your midst.” The Hebrew word here for “midst” is qereb, which means near or inward. It comes from the Hebrew verb qarab, which means to come near or close. Don’t you just love that. The God of all creation wants to be in their midst. He has “taken away His judgments.” What good news!

APPLICATION

God still wants to be in our midst. Isn’t that good news for us? The same God of Israel, through the presence of the Holy Spirit sent by the Son, wants to live within us. The difference between the Israelites and us is that Spirit that was with them temporarily is within us. We will dwell in His midst, and He will dwell in ours.

One day we will dwell in His midst in eternity, if we know His Son, Jesus, as our Savior and Lord. John 15 is a great passage about Jesus abiding in us and us abiding in Him. Take some time and read the whole chapter. The promise of Jesus remaining in us is worth it all.

So, I have to ask you. Is He in your midst? Have you asked the Lord to dwell within you through His Son? Jesus can cleanse you and purify your heart. At that moment He will come in and dwell within you. He will be in your midst. In your midst! That sounds marvelous.

Father, I am so thankful You are in my midst through Your Spirit because of Your Son.

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Abiding, Attitude, Bible, Exalting, Glory, Joy, Praise, Rejoicing, Scripture

SHOUT FOR JOY!

ZEPHANIAH 3:14

“‘Shout for joy, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, Israel! Rejoice and triumph with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!’”

I have been to Africa about 17 times, if my counting is correct. I love to hear my brothers and sisters sing and watch them dance before the Lord. To say they get a little excited is an understatement. The first time I heard the high pitched sound the women make with their tongues (called a tongue-wag), it shocked me. But now I just wish I could do it. It comes during a time of high praise for our God. It really is moving to me.

Here in Zephaniah 3:14 we see the Lord calling on the people to shout – for joy, in triumph. They are called to rejoice and triumph will all their hearts. God calls them the daughter of Zion, Israel and the daughter of Jerusalem. All three of those names point to a relationship with the Father. Did you know that “Israel” means contended with God and can be also said to mean triumphant with God? All reasons to shout for joy.

APPLICATION

How can you shout for joy today? I don’t mean to go outside and scream and scare your neighbors. I don’t mean jumping up and yelling “Jesus” at the top of your longs the next time you are church. I am talking about living your life in a manner that it shouts for joy. How do you do that?

I love 1 and 2 Peter. I quote them a lot because Peter gives us so many applicable words from the Lord. 2 Peter 1:3-4 is one of those passages. “3 for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.”

If those aren’t words to shout about, I don’t know what is. Let your life shout for joy today. Let your words, even in the quiet moments, shout for joy. Let your face shout for joy. In other words, let your whole being shout for joy. Fill your heart with joy by celebrating who you are in Christ.

I will shout and sing for joy to You, my great and mighty King.

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Accountability, Accused, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, Lies, Repentance, Scripture, Truth, Witnessing

TELL NO LIES

ZEPHANIAH 3:13

“‘The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths; for they will feed and lie down with no one to frighten them.’”

How many lies do you think you have told in your lifetime? Come on, be honest. We have all told lies for one reason or another. As a child, we would tell lies to our siblings, our friends and even our parents. Some lies are told to stay out of trouble. Other lies are told to brag or boast. Whatever the reason, lying is lying.

Can you imagine then that Lord says here in verse 13 that the remnant that He lives in the land will “tell not lies”? How is that possible? Remember where this remnant was. They were in the land that had been devastated by God’s judgment, yet they had been saved from death or exile. Surely, they were desirous of living to please Jehovah.

APPLICATION

Psalm 34:12-13 says, “12 Who is the person who desires life and loves length of days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” Peter repeats this verse in his first letter, 1 Peter 3:10. It’s obvious the Lord does not approve of lying. Why is that?

The Lord is truth. Anything deceitful is abhorred by Him. Here in the U.S., any witness in a court proceeding is sworn in for their testimony. They have to swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.” The whole legal system is built on telling the truth, being honest. I wish that were always the case, but many have told lies while on the witness stand.

Listen carefully, beloved. When you are on the witness stand before God, there will be no lie which you can tell that will get you out of His judgment. Because God is THE truth, He exposes all deceit. Won’t you come to Him today and lay down your lies? Confess your deceit. Repent before a holy God and receive His forgiveness and grace. Instead of lying, lie at His feet.

Father, forgive me for lying to You and others. Let truth reign supremely in my life.

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Abiding, Bible, Redemption, Remnant, Rescue, Scripture, Trust

THE NAME OF THE LORD

ZEPHANIAH 3:12

“‘But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD.’”

I have been guilty in the past of running to the wrong place for my refuge. Food can be a refuge for some people. Eating those comfort foods may feel good at the time, but that can have unhealthy results. Others turn to the bottle to drown out their worries. And still others run to family or friends who inevitably let them down.

In Zephaniah 3:12 we see the Lord telling the people what He is going to do with them. He is going to leave a remnant. In fact, the Hebrew word for “leave” means remain or remnant. But who is He going to leave in the country? Only the poor and lowly, those without land or money, the outcast of society. They will be the remnant. But those will turn to Him. They will call on “the name of the LORD.”

APPLICATION

To whom do you call when you are in need? I pray it is the Lord. If you are a believer, then you know that He can be trusted with your cares. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to “cast all our anxiety on Him for He cares about you.” Don’t you believe that? What does He have to do to prove it to you? He did send His Son, Jesus, to rescue you for eternity.

You have probably heard it said that if you can trust God with your eternity, you can surely trust Him with your today. That is so true. I have had to learn that over and over and over. You would think it would have sunk in the first time. Don’t judge me, though. You are probably the same. We just struggle with trust, don’t we?

There are so many verses on trust in the Bible. Just look at Psalm 115:9-11. “9 Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.” Can you do that today? Trust in His name, the name that is above all names, Jesus.

I trust in You, O Lord, my rock and my salvation. I will take refuge in You.

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Abiding, Bible, Forgiveness, Repentance, Salvation, Scripture, Shame

NO SHAME

ZEPHANIAH 3:11

“‘On that day you will feel no shame because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I will remove from your midst your proud, arrogant ones, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.

Carl Willis, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Boy, I heard that a lot growing up. Either my mom or a teacher was always getting on to me for my behavior. I was just a mischievous boy. Did I feel ashamed? Well, sometimes I was but most of the time I wasn’t. I didn’t do horrible things, but they were not nice either.

The Lord is telling His people in verse 11 that they felt no shame. Why? Because they did not think about the consequences of their actions. They certainly found out. God says He was going to remove the proud, arrogant and haughty people. They had no right to be on His holy mountain. They would be judged by the God of heaven.

APPLICATION

Shame! Does God shame us? Well, His Word should cause us to be ashamed. Why? Because none of us are sinless. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We should feel shame when we dishonor God and His commandments. It’s that disgrace that drives us to repentance. Even once we are saved, the Holy Spirit will use that to lead us to confession of the sins we commit.

So, shame in and of itself is not a bad thing. However, the devil will take that shame (if unconfessed) and whisper that we are not worthy of God’s forgiveness. That shame then grows and leads us to an even darker place. Shame that does not lead to repentance is not of God. God always wants to reconcile us back to Himself, never further away.

The closer I get to the Lord, the more aware I am of my sin. It’s like the Holy Spirit in me is blaring warnings at 110 decibels. The Word which is implanted in me drives me to confession. We must help those without Christ to hear Him speaking to them drawing them to Himself. Don’t let their shame consume them. Give them the antidote.

I am so thankful I know where to unload my shame. I am so glad I can come to You with a repentant spirit and receive a cleansing.

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