Category Archives: Scripture

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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Accountability, Attitude, Bible, Commands, Giving, Offering, Sacrifice, Scripture, Tithe

BRING THE OFFERINGS

ZEPHANIAH 3:10

“‘From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings.’”

Many years ago, my wife and I decided we could not outgive God. We have done our very best to give Him His offerings wherever we were in life financially. I remember when we moved to a new job once that was going to pay me about 50% less than I was making. We knew God wanted us to make this move, so we went. During those years, we gave more percentage wise in our tithes and offerings than at any other time in our marriage.

In Zephaniah 3:10, God is calling His beloved to come, all His “dispersed ones,” those who had been carried away in war or had fled due to war. He is calling them to come home, but He is also calling them to bring their offerings. Their attitude should be one of gratefulness, expressed through their offerings to Him. After all, He had rescued them. He had preserved them. Now, they are to honor Him with their gifts.

APPLICATION

If you can’t predict the application for this verse, stop reading now, lol. We are called to give. We are called to give sacrificially. Our tithes and offerings should be at the forefront of our minds as we budget. As believers, we should be involved in a local body of believers. That church needs your gifts to provide the ministries each week. You can also give through that church to support missionaries on the field.

Now, this is not a blog just about money. That’s important, but there is more to giving than just giving. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says it best. “6 Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” See those last two words? A cheerful giver. It’s all about attitude.

I have to be honest. There have been times when I gave grudgingly. Yep, I did. But God has taught me the joy of giving. If I played the lottery (and I don’t), it would be so much fun to win and give it away. One of the richest men in the U.S. back in the 19th century was Andrew Carnegie. He gave most of his money away before his death. I am not saying you should give all your money away. But trust the Lord as you give. Ask Him to direct how and how much you should give. Bring your offerings.

O God, all I have belongs to You. As I give, take it and use it to further Your kingdom.

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Abiding, Bible, Confession, Forgiveness, Purity, Scripture

PURE LIPS

ZEPHANIAH 3:9

“‘For then I will restore to the peoples pure lips, so that all of them may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.’”

I have to confess something. When I first married Christine, I used to chew a little tobacco when I was outside working or when I was fishing. She quickly told me I had a choice – kissing or chewing. Guess which one I gave up, lol. My lips were not exactly clean and pure when I chewed tobacco. (Note to readers: I no longer use tobacco products, in case you are wondering.)

I don’t think Zephaniah had tobacco lips on his mind when he shared God’s message about Him restoring pure lips to the people. You have to look at what follows that statement to understand what the Lord meant. No one can truly call on the name of the Lord with an impure mouth, with a nasty mouth. Our lips need to confess our impurities first. Then God’s ears are attentive to our pleas.

APPLICATION

Romans 10:9 probably says it best. “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” That act of the lips purifies your lips. God instantly and eternally saves you. He purifies your heart. He purifies your spirit. He purifies your lips. There is still a lot of purification to be done as you grow more like Him, but the act has begun.

I love Proverbs. It has a lot to say about lips. Two of my favorite verses comes from Proverbs 18:6-7. “6 A fool’s lips bring strife, and his mouth invites beatings. 7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” You can’t get much clearer than that. Beware of your lips.

Impure lips can cause all kinds of problems for you. It’s not just the words you say. It’s the attitude of the heart that is shown through your lips. Ask the Lord today to purify your lips so you can call on His name. Then you too can serve Him “shoulder to shoulder.”

Wash my mouth out, Lord. Cleanse my lips that I may speak Your name boldly.

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Anger, Battles, Bible, Confession, Repentance, Scripture, Sin, Wrath

BURNING ANGER

ZEPHANIAH 3:8

“‘Therefore wait for Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal.’”

Have you ever been so mad you could spit flames? I have a few times. I am reading a book right now about anger. It’s entitled “Unoffendable.” The author is Brant Hansen. He has some pretty good ideas in the book, but it really is about us allowing Christ to transform us more into His image and living like that. I really don’t have a reason to get angry, according to Brant.

That does not apply to God. He says in today’s verse that His “burning anger” will devour the earth. God’s wrath on the nations and kingdoms that opposed Him will be made known. They will not be able to stand against Him. This is not the place you want to be. They did not understand that. God’s anger is always directed at sin.

APPLICATION

Do you get angry? Why? Think about it for a minute. There is no one or nothing that can really make you angry. We all make the decision to get angry. Saying someone or something made you angry gives all the power to them. You don’t want to do that, do you? James 1:20 tells us “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” So, all that talk about having a righteous anger is just that – talk.

We need to let go of the anger that is in. We are not God. We do not have the right. Only God has that right. Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27 that our anger, if allowed to become sin, only gives the devil a foothold in our lives. That is certainly something we want to avoid. You can’t give him an inch.

So, what’s the answer for our “burning anger”? Confession! Repentance! Yielding to God’s authority. That’s the only way. Today, if you start to feel anger rising up, stop it and confess that as sin. Allow the Lord to purge that anger from you. He can do it. Do it today.

Father, I admit my sin of anger. I confess that as sin. Forgive me.

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Abiding, Bible, Conviction, Correction, Corruption, Discipline, Passion, Scripture

RISING EARLY

ZEPHANIAH 3:7

“‘I said, “You will certainly revere Me, you will accept discipline.” So her dwelling will not be eliminated in accordance with everything that I have stipulated for her. Instead, they were eager to corrupt all their deeds.’”

I am typically an early riser. Sleeping to 6 a.m. is late for me. Normally I am up between 4:30 and 5:30 most days. I just can’t sleep late. The first thing I do after getting dressed is head upstairs to my office and have my Quiet Time. I love spending the first moments of my day in prayer and then in the Word. It sets me on the right course for the day.

In today’s verse the Lord is rebuking those in Jerusalem for doing just the opposite. “They were eager” is better translated “they rose early.” The got up early to corrupt all their deeds. The word “corrupt” actually means “to put to ruin.” Wow! They got up early to mess stuff up. Hmmm. Sounds like the world today, doesn’t it?

APPLICATION

I pray you have the Lord on your mind when you arise. Psalm 3:5 says, “I lie down and sleep; I awake again because the Lord sustains me.” Isn’t that awesome? Even while I am sleeping, the Lord is ready to wake me up and sustain me. Why shouldn’t we have Him on our minds first thing?

Don’t wake up and think What can I get away with today. As believers, we are to strive to be holy as He is holy. He commands that. And if God commands something of us, it is possible. He will never ask you to do something which He will not enable you to do. Do you believe that? You should. So, don’t succumb to the schemes of the evil one. He wants to lead you astray.

My practice of getting up early and having my Quiet Time is a skill I have developed. It wasn’t something I just started doing. I had to discipline myself to do it. Every Man A Warrior helped me to do that. Check it out at everymanawarrior.com. This material was written for men, but women are also taking advantage of the skills it helps develop. Welcome to the journey.

Father, I long to please You. I do not want to do those things anymore that feed my flesh. I want to feed my spirit.

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Apathy, Bible, Consequences, God's Will, Judgment, Rebellion, Scripture

NO ONE’S HOME

ZEPHANIAH 3:6

“‘I have eliminated nations; their corner towers are deserted. I have laid waste their streets, with no one passing by; their cities have been laid waste, without a person, without an inhabitant.’”

One of the motel chains in the U.S. used to use as their slogan “The lights are always on.” The problem with that slogan is that it does not guarantee that anyone is actually there. I know lots of people who leave a light or two on when they are away from home. Some even have timers on their lights so they go on and off to give the impression someone is home. It’s kind of depressing to arrive at someone’s home only to find them gone.

That is not what Zephaniah is describing. These places were uninhabited because of God’s judgment. Towns were deserted because people had been carried away by conquering nations. Streets were deserted. No one passed by. This would be a visual reminder of the results of their rebellion against God. They were suffering the consequences of their sins.

APPLICATION

I have known people who have lost their homes due to foreclosure, and the house was shut up and deserted. I have known other homes that were abandoned by their owners when they moved away and could not sell it. Those empty dwellings are usually (not always) a result of bad decisions which reaped consequences.

What decisions have you made that made your spiritual dwelling forsaken? Do you understand what I am asking? This passage just popped into my head. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “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.’”

Jesus invites us to dwell with Him. He invites our spiritual house to be built with His living stones. When we dwell with Him, we will never be homeless. Our heavenly city will never be desolate and deserted. The streets of gold will be full of His children. This may sound too good to be true, but it is. He promises that. Don’t remain in your situation without Him. Come to Him.

I long to dwell with You in Your home, O Lord. I cannot wait to see what You have built for me.

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