where do you run?

"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, ESV

Making new goals for the year really makes me sit and think. In reflecting on the past year, I can see how I need some "rehab" in areas of my life. Someone once told me that if computers were just repaired, then we would not have to buy new ones every few years. I do not know much about computers, but I do believe that God does not wish to throw us out, and He has the unique ability to "repair" us.

It baffles me how God is not only is pure and just, but also forgiving. In Zephaniah, I see how God is just. In chapter 3, verse 17, we can see how God has this joyful love for us. He:

• is with us
• saves us
• takes delight in us

So, God, ruler over all, loves us. He wants us to know Him, follow Him, rest in Him.

Where will we run this year?  How can we help others see how He loves?

Some songs, with links to youtube.com, that stand out to me:

• "Tremble" by Nichole Nordeman – "Face down on the floor/Do I dare to take the liberty to stare at you?/Oh, let me/Oh, let me not forget to tremble."
• "What a Miracle" by David Crowder Band – "O King of Kings/Our Sacred Joy/What a miracle/You come for all."
• "Okay" by Flyleaf – "It's too important for us to forget/...God will hear and save/God will hear and save us."

"Holy Spirit entrance"

In the front of a school in Louisville, there is a sign that leads into a driveway lined by trees that reads, "Holy Spirit Entrance." My roommate brought to my attention the humor in it! In fact, "Holy Spirit" is actually the name of the school, for Kindergarten through eighth graders. We know that Holy Spirit, in this case, means that the entrance to the school is near that sign. However, in everyday life, it is easy to believe that if we do one thing, then the Holy Spirit will be with us.

The Bible is clear, though, that whatever we do is marked with God's grace and fueled by His power alone. In chapter ten of Mark, Jesus explained a story of a rich man and how difficult it is for people to enter the kingdom of God. Yet, in verse 27, "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'" Thank God that the all-powerful God wants to save us!

A commonly-read story explains the incomparable, saving power of our God. In Daniel, chapter 3, God-followers Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship the idols of polytheist King Nebuchadnezzar. The king decides to throw them in a furnace, leaving them to burn to death. They respond in verse 17, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king." Later in the chapter, we watch as God in fact does save them, and they arise from the fire without harm!

King Nebuchadnezzar is moved by this, and he declares "to the peoples, nations, and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the most High God has performed for me" (Daniel 4:1-2). Indeed, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's rock-hard faith has passed throughout the generations.

I pray that we are able to live for Him and His glory, that we may remember that it is Christ alone who saved us, and that it is His name that we are to spread the good news about all across the world.

Other verses about God's saving grace: Romans 11:23, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Hebrews 7:25