The Victory Song

The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings, because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.

Zephaniah 3:17 (CEV)

Everyone needs a place to belong—someone to love them, someone who gets excited to be with them. How crazy is it that the God of the universe wants to be that for you?

In the book of Zephaniah, the Lord grieves over his people running away from him. They’ve chosen to sin instead of obey him. They’ve decided their way was better than God’s way. They’ve outright shaken their fists in his face, saying they won’t obey his commands.

The Lord hated to see them go through their punishment and pain because of the choices they made. But he looked ahead to a time when they would return to him, when he would restore them and bring them back to a life filled with his love and blessings. Like a triumphant warrior, he celebrates when this happens. You know how a crowd roars a song after their team scores? Like that—but far greater!

Like the people during Zepheniah’s time, you also have to make a choice. Where are you? Do you hear God’s triumphant song of love? Or are you running away from him? Are you afraid there’s no going back? The Lord is waiting for your return. He’s ready to sing over you. He’s ready to refresh your life with his love.

So, make the conscious decision to turn to God. Ask the Lord to forgive you and help you turn to him. Then be glad that God celebrates you, his child!

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

Using this week’s “Keep It Going” verses, write about how the Lord views you. Thank him for always being there for you and rejoicing over you.

INSPIRATION

“God finds us in the desert of death (not in the garden of improvement) and in the power of Jesus’s resurrection, he puts us on his shoulders rejoicing and brings us home.”

—Robert Farrar Capon, Episcopal priest and author

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages:These additional verses will help you expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day.Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 149:4

Isaiah 63:1

Luke 15:7

Ephesians 5:25

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This devotional was written by Tonia Gutting for the Hero Squad Program of the American Bible Society. Hero Squad provides complimentary faith-based resources to strengthen and encourage Military families through God’s Word. For more information or to enroll your Military family, check out our website.www.myherosquad.org.