Quieted By His Love

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Do you know when things are out of whack in your life and your relationship with God?

For me, it's when I get mouthy.  It's not that I have anything grand to say.  I just want to say it.  The more that I talk, the more I feel hated.  The more I feel hated, the more I hate myself and continue to talk.  Then I get anxious which makes matters much, much worse.  It's a vicious cycle.  Over time, I've come to learn exactly what or who triggers the cycle and how.

It's the devil.  And, sadly, he has many willing tools at his disposal.  His whole goal is to shatter our armor (Ephesians 6), and prevent us from fulfilling God's good purposes for our life.

While I have come to learn how this happens, it doesn't change the circumstance and the evil that surrounds me, causing it to happen.  But, what does change this vicious cycle is the Holy Spirit's work in me.  He has lovingly taught us all how to escape these tools of the devil.  We must fight these things hard by allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our minds, to quiet us by the loving truth of His Word.

Nothing can separate me from His love for me.  (Romans 8:38)

He will quiet me by His love and exult over me with loud singing.  (Zephaniah 3:17)

God blesses me when people mock me, persecute me, lie about me and say all sorts of evil things against me because I follow Jesus. (Matthew 5:11)

And, when I'm feeling the need for vindication and justice, there is this truth, “For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes" (Job 34:21-22, NLT).

These verses and the whole of Scripture are the loving truths by which God quiets my soul and yours, allowing us to rest in Him.  May we surround ourselves with Him forever.

Goodnight, Runners.