Mighty
adjective possessing great and impressive power or strength, especially on account of size.
I’m reflecting on a sermon I have the opportunity to preach in the near future. When asking the Lord what I should preach about He was silent for awhile. Then several days later He seemed to impress upon me that I should preach about what I hear Him saying to me most often.
It’s hard to explain but sometimes my inner voice just says a scripture. It usually happens in the morning when I first wake up. Sometimes it is during the day. But most often in the morning.
The morning is when my mind and emotions are the most receptive. They haven’t had time to get bogged down in the events of the day.
As it happened the other day the voice just said, “The Lord your God in your midst is mighty.”
(And so you understand my perspective, I believe this is God talking to me. His Holy Spirit does a little hug with my brain and the Word of God that has been soaked in by reading, mediation and memorization moves from the spirit realm back into the natural realm at the time I need it because the Lord is speaking to me.)
My inner voice seems to pop out with this verse often. Maybe because I need it often. That particular scripture is from a prophetic book in the Old Testament. The exact passage is this:
“The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”Zephaniah 3:17
What a rich portion of scripture this is. Especially in light of where it falls in the middle of judgment on the rebellious kingdom of Judah and how it beautifully points to the day of the Lord and the restoration of all things back into God’s design and plan for His people.
For me it is His love song to me everyday. “I am here,” he says. “I’m bigger than anything or anyone that would come against you today.”
But how quickly other things crowd out His position as the most prominent in my day. Worries, cares, set-backs, details, inappropriate affections for anything other than Him – all overtake my “midst” where He wants to be.
Yet His Word is true. Whatever is in my midst will be mighty, it will have power and strength of great size.
The choice is mine. Will I forsake all else to allow Him His rightful position?
Will my words, life and worship serve to enthrone, empower, and release His reality in my life as:
Doting proud Father?
Glad rejoicer in me and in His work in me?
Lavish lover that quiets my storms?
Serenader of songs of His delight in our communion?
Try and identify the mighty things in your life today.
What seems like a strong hold against God’s blessing in your life?
Are you living in a quiet place or a noisy chaotic place?
Do you feel the affirming love of the Father or is there shame, judgement and darkness?
Are you dancing all day in His song or dancing to keep up appearances with the world?
The place where all those things turn around and become His dwelling place is the place He longs for you to be.
That place is the place of worship.
Worship is the place of sitting at His feet and breathing in His love and pouring your love back out on Him. When we refresh our lives to live in this place then our place of surrender becomes His place of saving.
Who is your lord?
Who is in your midst?
Who is mighty?
Who is saving you and to what kind of life are you being saved?
Who is strong?
Who is at the center?
Make the answer to everyone of those questions the same.
Jesus Christ, Lord I AM to the glory of God the Father, empowered by the fullness of the Holy Spirit dwelling with in you, moving through you.