Resting in God’s Love

Resting in God's Love



 Zephaniah 3:17-20

[17]For the lord your God is living among you.  He is a mighty savior. 

He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. 

 He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

[18]“I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more.

[19]And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you.  I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. 

I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed.

[20]On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. 

I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes.

I, the lord, have spoken!”


John 3:16

[16]“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.


1 John 4:16-19

[16]We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

[17]And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

[18]Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

[19]We love each other because he loved us first.


Resting in Perfect Love

​Life often feels like a constant performance. We worry if we are doing enough, being enough, or if our mistakes have finally pushed God’s patience to the limit. But the scriptures tell a different story—one where God isn’t just a distant judge, but a Father who is radically, deeply in love with you.

​God is With You and For You

​In Zephaniah 3:17, we see a beautiful image of God’s presence. He isn't just "there"; He is a mighty warrior who saves, but He is also a tender Father who "will take great delight in you" and "rejoice over you with singing." Imagine that: the Creator of the universe finds so much joy in you that He breaks into song. You don’t have to earn that delight; it is His gift to you.

​The Proof of Love

​If we ever doubt the intensity of that affection, we only need to look at John 3:16. God’s love isn't just a feeling; it’s an action. He gave His one and only Son so that the distance between us and Him could be closed forever. This is the foundation of our security.

​Living Without Fear

​Because of this great sacrifice, we can move from a place of "trying" to a place of "abiding." 1 John 4:16-19 reminds us that "God is love," and as we live in that love, fear is pushed out. We don’t have to tremble at the thought of judgment because "perfect love drives out fear."

​We love Him because He first loved us. Our obedience isn't a way to get God to love us; it is our natural response to realizing we are already cherished beyond measure. Today, let the "song" of God drown out the noise of your anxieties.  Always remember God’s divine love for us surpasses what we silly humans call love. Look at our evil world and how we treat each other, how we allow children to treat each other. Ross and I knew this lovely couple with 5 children. They lived here in Maine for a while but eventually they moved back to Pittsburgh. 

A few years later we drove out to visit them. Dominique was just a baby. We pulled up to their home to witness a big fight. It was their 12 year old son beating up an adult.  The parents were encouraging this and everyone was screaming. Now honestly I do not know what started it, but to witness two Christians that we truly respected acting like that, we saw no love in them. We had planned to visit for a few days, they were expecting us. We got through the evening, lots of apologies on their part, but we were rattled. Eventually we fell asleep. At 2 am someone drove by their house shooting a barrage of bullets into their home. Everyone was a awake trying to hide, crying, screaming, it was way too much for my PTSD and we were out of there!

Some of you may have been in the service and seen war up close and personal. It is very hard to see God in people, during such times of violence. 

It is up to us to show the unsaved a tiny fraction of God's love.  Because even when we love with all we have, few of us would give our own for the many. Amen!

​

​Heavenly Father, thank You for rejoicing over me with singing. Help me to quiet my heart today so I can hear Your voice. When I feel afraid or unworthy, remind me of the cross and the perfect love that casts out all fear. Teach me to abide in You, trusting that I am Your beloved child. Amen.


​Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

​BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED, AMEN.

BOBBA

Love, Penny

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