“The Lord your God is with you,” Zephaniah 3:17a NIV
Zephaniah lived during a time when Jerusalem had abandoned God. They had decided to worship other gods and even built altars to them. They did not hide this but did it in the open. Just as other prophets had, Zephaniah preached to all of Jerusalem that they needed to return to God. That they needed to stop sinning and begin obeying God again, that judgement was coming.
Even with everything that God’s chosen people have done, the sins they have committed, God still promises to gather all of them back together and restore their blessings. God is ever forgiving and faithful. In the beginning of the 17th verse that is shared above, Zephaniah is telling Jerusalem that they are not alone, that the Lord their God is with them.
How many times have we felt alone in this great big world. Alone in our circumstances, alone in our grief and sorrow. The devil works hard to make sure we believe that we are not ‘good enough’ for God, that we are ‘lost causes’ and that God has given up on us.
This is simply not true!!! With everything that the Israelites did, God was willing to restore them and then be with them. He did not leave them and He will not leave you or me. When we feel alone, I believe it is because we are the ones who have left. We have left God’s side at that point and we are the ones who need to return.
Heavenly Father, please help us to recognize when we have moved away from You. Help us to then return to Your side. Amen