Sing Over Your Children

My personal verse for this year is Zephaniah 3:17. That verse says (NIV1984),

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

I know my God is mighty to save. I never tire of hearing that or saying that. My GOD is MIGHTY TO SAVE! When I hear of the death of a terrorist, MY GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE. When I think of how someone so evil could walk into a church and murder my friend, I remember MY GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE! When I see people suffering through divorce or depression, I remember MY GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE! I never tire of hearing or saying that. I'm not talking about the type of salvation where He'll rescue you from a life threatening situation. He doesn't promise that. I'm talking about ETERNAL salvation. He saves through the blood of the Lamb--through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No matter our sins, no matter our past, no matter our disappointments, if we confess with our mouths that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we WILL be SAVED. OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.

Even though I could stop at 3:17a, my favorite part is yet to come. It comes in those three actions:
"He TAKES DELIGHT"
"He will QUIET you"
"He REJOICES over you"

Our God is not a passive God. He is a God of action. He doesn't merely stand by and watch the world spiral out of control. He's a God of order. He's a God with a plan. He's a God who builds relationships with each one of us individually. This verse is very personal. Our God is a very personal God. The God of the Universe takes delight in me. He will quiet ME with His love. He will rejoice over ME with singing.

This Sunday, our Grad ensemble will sing a song based on Zephaniah 3:17. It's a Matt Maher song called, "Sing Over Your Children." Here's what the writer has to say about it:

"I knew subconsciously of Zephaniah 3:17 - that God sings joyfully over His people (aka, the shout of the King) - and that song, that voice can soften the hardest of hearts. Our relationship with God is initiated by Him and His love - freely given as gift; despite my constant temptation with the things of earth, God's love doesn't waver." (Matt Maher, www.mattmahermusic.com)

The chorus simply says this,
Out of the depths you cry,
Come and be satisfied.
Father, You sing, Father You sing over Your children.

Let us see through Your eyes
We are Your great delight
Father, You sing, Father You sing over Your children.

No matter what circumstances you may face this week, remember that God is actively a part of your life. You are His delight. He hears your cries and He is mighty to save. He responds by taking delight in you, quieting you with His love and rejoicing over you with singing.

From the Inside Out

I have the wonderful privilege each Sunday of meeting with a group of six girls, ages 17-18. We talk about life, pray for each other, ask questions and study the Word together. Right now, we are working through a book by Beth Moore entitled "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things." The purpose of this book is not to point the finger at others, but rather to recognize our areas of weakness and fortify them with the Truth so satan can't penetrate them. Easier said than done!

This week, we read the following passage:
"Satan knows that the nature of humankind is to act out of how we feel rather than what we know. One of our most important defenses against satanic influence will be learning how to behave out of what we know is TRUTH rather than what we feel." (p.22)

We set the goal to make our decisions this week based on the TRUTH we know, rather than behaving out of how we feel. Setting that goal was like begging satan to come and attack.

Moore goes on to say, "Satan's desire is to modify human behavior to accomplish his unholy purposes. 2Timothy 2:26 tells us that Satan's objective in taking people captive is to get them to do his will. If we have received Christ as our Savior, Satan is forced to work from the outside rather than the inside. Thus, he manipulates outside influences to affect the inside decision-makers of the heart and mind."

So, how do we combat that? We must be transformed from the inside out!

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says, "Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life."

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

We have to literally stand guard over our hearts. We have to constantly be pouring into them TRUTH so our hearts and minds walk in TRUTH and don't give in to deceit. It's an active thing.

So, at the end of our discussion this week, the girls asked me one simple word, "How?"

We pray...without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) We meditate on the Word...daily. (Psalm 119:148) We edify one another and hold each other accountable. (Hebrews 3:13) We press on and never give up. (Philippians 3:14) We write on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3) and speak aloud songs, hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19). We give thanks (Psalm 100).

We ACT OUT Romans 12:1-2 (NIV1984):
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

No, it's not easy. But the good news is, we're not alone. We are a body of believers on this journey together. We have the ONE, TRUE God as our shield and His WORD as our guide.

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out.
--Hillsong