[F]or then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD[.]

Zephaniah 3:9-20

[F]or then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD[.] Zephaniah 3:11b-12

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 3:11b-12, which is the text for the third division for the commentary's chapter on 3:9-20 (six divisions in total).

Excerpts from the commentary relating to 3:11b-12:

• God has already passed judgement on how Judah (and all of humanity) suffers from arrogance and pride, relying on their own powers for all of their needs - trusting in self vs God. 
• As an act of grace towards Judah, God transforms his people and their heart by giving them humility.  This transformation is "simply acknowledging the truth about ourselves—namely that we are not good by nature, nor are we able to save ourselves. We are mortal, fallible, and in need of help, and because of God’s grace, that help is provided."
• As we do this, we can take refuge in God for all of our needs as the text describes in v12. We are referred to Psalm 91:1-2, 46:1-3. Psalm 46:1-3 in particular describes how, "[a]s a result of their position, under God’s refuge, they were able to face whatever might come with great confidence, peace, and resolve. In a very real sense this is one of the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of the children of God. Our ability to trust in God when the world crashes around us is radically different from the response of the world."
• We are encouraged to seek refuge in God in response to fear and anxiety. See also Psalm 56:3. 

Take refuge in the Lord and experience a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7)!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - giving me a heart for You and for saving me!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me[.]

Zephaniah 3:9-20

On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me[.] Zephaniah 3:11a

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 3:11a, which is the text for the second division for the commentary's chapter on 3:9-20 (six divisions in total).

Excerpts from the commentary relating to 3:11a:

•  All of humanity is created in God's image but we are also marred by sin since the Fall (Genesis 3); fortunately, the death of Christ offers hope for sinners, and this requires us to confess our sins, acknowledge our fallen spiritually-dead state, and to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  
• Today's text shares how we deserve shame and the consequences of our sin.  "Through serious and persistent disobedience, we have constantly rejected God and run away from His presence. Yet God, in His grace, has been just as persistent in His pursuit of humanity." See also Genesis 3:9. "From that point forward God has been pursuing humanity, in spite of our sin, in an effort to redeem and restore us. That is breathtaking love!"
  
• God's response to Judah (and our sin) that they "shall not be put to shame" is described in the commentary as "indescribable grace and forgiveness."  We are referred to Hebrews 2:11 where Jesus is not ashamed of believers.  This is also noted for how "astonishing" it is. 
• "We were lost, helpless, and rightfully covered in shame, and through the grace of God we are able to be restored and made free from shame."  We are referred to Isaiah 61:7 where the prophet describes God's favor on His people.   

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great indeed as Your grace IS indescribably incredible!  I am completely undeserving of the grace that pours out like a river daily for me.  My sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering.

Zephaniah 3:9-20

“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. Zephaniah 3:9-10

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 3:9-10, which is the text for for division of the commentary for the commentary's chapter on 3:9-20 (six divisions in total). The commentary's introduction for 3:9-20 includes the below main idea for the entirety of the text:

Main idea: "God is rich in mercy and will restore His people to a place of prominence and blessing.

Excerpts from the commentary relating to 3:9-10:

• Division title: "God Will Restore His People"
• "Arguably the most painful book in the Bible, it has not left us excited and hopeful for more. In what has surely felt like one body blow after another, God has chastised His people, called them to repentance, and threatened them with judgment. In all of this, however, we have maintained that His love and justice are the motivating factors for His behavior."
• "This claim of restoring pure speech means much more than just clean language. This is a reference to being purified. It speaks of repentance being accomplished in the hearts of God’s people. From rampant rebellion to penitent humility, the people of Judah have been rescued and redeemed. To be purified means to be cleansed. Purification occurs when we are both forgiven and repentant. The old sin is gone and the future behavior is not the same as the past. The result of this purification, then, will be a readiness to call on Yahweh and worship Him with their lives."
• "Notice two specific ways in which they will respond to His grace. First, they will call on His name. For a people who had previously struggled to trust God, this is a marvelous turnaround. By calling on His name, they are indicating trust in Him."  See also Luke 9:23.
  
• "Second, not only are they trusting God, they are now committed to serving Him—but not just serving Him, they are committed to doing so with “single purpose.” This is, again, far different from the message we heard throughout the rest of the book. These had been a people who were focused on themselves and whose focus was scattered across a host of different ideals and goals. Instead, they are now united in their focus on God and His commands."
• "Gathering us together from around the world, God is redeeming a people for Himself."  See also Revelation 7:9-10.
  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good as Your forgiveness and mercies are new every morning and they never cease!  Your grace - amazing grace - never ends!  Thank You Jesus for my salvation and Your amazing grace.  Of course I am undeserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Hebrews 11:26

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. Hebrews 11:26

Today, once again I traveled - this time home from WV...thus I am mindful again of how I did not offer time to the Lord in the morning (my first fruits) as I'd like do, but I am also mindful that I need to go to God daily and while it is late in the day it is my first opportunity to get online and not just focus my mind on God's message, I do want to document my time.  For this opportunity, I go to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today explores Hebrews 11:26.  Here, John describes the purpose of suffering for believers as "to manifest, in childlike faith, the infinite preciousness of [Christ's] all-satisfying promises — the all-satisfying greatness and beauty of his own glory as the fulfillment of all of them."  Using Hebrews 11:25-26, Piper points us to Moses who "[chose]...to be mistreated with the people of God [rather] than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin."  Moses chose to share in the suffering of Christ even though He did not even know of Him...He was called by God in obedience and to live by faith expecting something greater.  Piper then describes this as Christian Hedonism, where "[i]n the pursuit of joy through suffering, we magnify the all-satisfying worth of the Source of our joy. God himself shines as the brightness at the end of our tunnel of pain...If we do not communicate that he is the goal and the ground of our joy in suffering, then the very meaning of our suffering will be lost. The meaning is this: God is gain. God is gain. God himself is gain. That’s the meaning of our suffering. The chief end of man is to glorify God. And it is truer in suffering than anywhere else that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You are the greater reward...You are the gain...above all things.  Thank You for Your faithfulness and that I can never be separated from Your love...despite what may and will happen to me.  I am not deserving of such faithfulness and salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.     

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

Today, while traveling in WV...once again I am mindful of how I did not offer time to the Lord in the morning (my first fruits) as I'd like do, but I am also mindful that I need to go to God daily and while it is late in the day it is my first opportunity to get online and not just focus my mind on God's message, I do want to document my time.  For this opportunity, I go to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today explores Matthew 5:11-12 and how we as believers should focus on the eternal when we find ourselves suffering - there is a greater reward then one found in our earthly bodies. For this, Piper also refers us to Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 as supplemental text to support encouragement found in scripture for those suffering. We are not just to rejoice based on this eternal reward, but this rejoicing causes us to love, and to love in supernatural way that draws others to Jesus.  See also Luke 6:35 and 14:14.  Finding joy in our suffering then deepens the hope we have in the eternal. See also Romans 5:3-4.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the example You provide of rejoicing in suffering!  Through Your example and the Holy Spirit I can share in suffering with You and as such rejoice in this suffering.  I am not deserving of the love from which I can never be separated.  My sin is great and it is daily!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church[.]

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church[.] Colossians 1:24

Today, while traveling in WV...I am mindful of how I did not offer time to the Lord in the morning (my first fruits) as I'd like do, but I am also mindful that I need to go to God daily and while it is late in the day it is my first opportunity to get online and not just focus my mind on God's message, I do want to document my time.  For this opportunity, I go to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today explores Colossians 1:24. I have previously reviewed this particular message from John Piper but it is nonetheless worthy of review.  It is an astonishing message and deeply encouraging for those experiencing suffering.  First, Piper describes how Christ's sacrifice was perfect - it lacked in nothing - "— except one thing, a personal presentation by Christ himself to the nations of the world."  Now we should be careful to assume that Christ's death on the cross was anything less than perfect.  Piper shares how "for the sake of [Christ's] body, that is, the church...[Paul and us] fill up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." Piper then goes on to share how "[those in the church, including today and tomorrow] finish what they were designed for, namely, a personal presentation to the people who do not know about their infinite worth." Piper sums this up succinctly with a more full statement: "[Paul] says that it is his own sufferings that fill up Christ’s afflictions. This means, then, that Paul exhibits the sufferings of Christ by suffering himself for those he is trying to win to Christ. In his sufferings they are to see Christ’s sufferings....Here is the astounding upshot: God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of his people."  Astounding indeed...those suffering are intended to carry Christ into the world by sharing in His afflictions and displaying how God's grace is sufficient. See also 2 Corinthians 12:9. 

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My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Your are so good...You are with me at all times, including in my suffering.  Thank You Jesus for never leaving or forsaking me.  I am not deserving of how You love and save me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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 3:9-20

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

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a unassisted review of Zephaniah 3:9-20, which is the text for next chapter of my commentary.  Zephaniah's message from the Lord up until this moment (chapter 1 and 2 and chapter 3 so far) has been harsh (but warranted) as God renders judgement not just on Judah but also her neighbors.  Judah has been full of pride and spurning God (see Zephaniah 3:1-2).  Now, remarkably, in 3:9-20 we see God's amazing grace - this is a great example of how God loved us (believers) while we were still slave to our sin, softened our heart towards Him and saved us (see also Romans 5:8) - not because of anything we did (see also Ephesians 2:8).  Of the many blessings from Zephaniah 3:9-20:

• No condemnation, forgiveness - v11
• Freedom from pride, lies and deceit as sin - v11
• Peace of mind - v13
• Joy - v14
• Protection - v15
• Fellowship with God - v17
• Will make God's people a renowned name (for His glory) - v20
• Restored fortunes - v20
  

Of course, those who remain proud and haughty will not experience restoration as God will remove from Judah's midst those who remain "proudly exultant" (v11).  This is similar to Adam and Eve's separation from God after their sin and the Fall (Genesis 3). What a terrible thing to be separated from God's love at any point - believers can take great comfort in knowing that nothing can separate us from His love (see also Romans 8:38-39).  His mercies are new every morning and never cease (Lamentations 3:22-23).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for rejoicing over me with gladness and exult over me with singing, and for quieting me with Your love...and of course saving me!  I am not deserving....no.  My sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.