Devotional - November 19, 2025

Scripture: Zephania 3:17  The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

When you imagine God, especially God being with you, do you imagine what Zephania does in the text above.  A God who knows everything about you, wanting to be with you.  A God who has a deep desire to save you from that which can harm you.  A God who takes great delight in you and wants to rejoice over you.  I'm not thinking there are many who do.  Rather, visions of anger and wrath come to mind.  Or for some, no God at all.  Zephania would like his readers to follow his description.  He is not trying to entice people to seek God.  He is testifying to the God that he knows.  No one wants to be around angry people, much less an angry God.  We may do things that anger God, but realize that is not the heart of God.  Hopefully, you know some good hearted people.  They too may get angry with you, but they still love and care about your wellbeing.  They do not turn away from you when they get angry.  They have your best interests at heart.  They see you as a good and respectable person who is capable of doing well and they do not want you to compromise that version of you.  God is the same way.  Know that God loves you even though you may have deviated from the path, even severely.  God will forgive, save, and lead you onward (Zechariah 3: 3-5, Isaiah 1:18, and Revelations 22:14).

Pray with me..., Holy God, we confess we hesitate to commit our lives to You.  We struggle to know who You are.  Grant us peace.  Help us in our faith.  Hear us, as we pray for those who are near and dear to our hearts.  We ask that You would bless them.  Bless our church, O God, help us to be the people You call us to be, in Jesus' name.  Amen.  

God’s Peace,

Pastor Brian