From: Beverly French [frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us]
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 6:15 AM
To: Heritage
Subject: September 26th Greetings

Zephaniah 3:17,
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior (a warrior who saves), He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love (or with some ancient versions -- renew you in His love), He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy."

The Amplified Bible says, "...He will rest [in silent satisfaction]..."

What would cause my Lord's heart to be such that He would shout for joy? I would think it would be a child of His who reverences Him above all else.  One who trusts completely and who seeks to do His will.  One who cleaves to Him in joyous fellowship placing all of life's earthly circumstances into His hand and, therefore, being "anxious for nothing". ( Philippians 4:6a)

This is a child who is at rest in his soul.  It is the rest of God that the Lord bids us to enter into as we have seen in these last few Sunday messages.

Does this not fill your heart with joy knowing that there is this place of comfort and peace?  In this world where evil is rampant, we have the assurance that we see in 1 John 4:4, "Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world." The Amplified Bible

And we see in Proverbs 2 the security that  wisdom brings.  Christ is our wisdom. "For the Lord gives wisdom;  From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;  He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,  Guiding the paths of justice,  And He preserves the way of His godly ones.  Then you will discern righteousness and justice  And equity and every good course.  For wisdom will enter your heart,  And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;  Discretion will guard,  Understanding will watch over,  To deliver you from the way of evil..." Verses 6-12  From those: "Who delight in doing evil,  And rejoice in the perversity of evil."  Verse 14

This is wisdom from above!  James 3:17 says,
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."

James 1:5-8 tells us,
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  BUT let him ask in faith WITHOUT ANY DOUBTING, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

In this passage we see that faith is the key to gaining wisdom!  And we know that Jesus is the author and the perfector of our faith.  Therefore, let us look away from all that would distract and fix our eyes on Christ Jesus our Lord.

All praise to our glorious King of kings and Lord of lords.  Amen.