God’s love

Unchanging Reality

“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

God the Father is able to heal the hurt of every human heart, and Zephaniah 3:17 gives us glimpses of how He does it.

For some wounds, Father God gives His own, healing presence. “He will quiet you by his love.” What will the Father do? He will quiet you. In the Hebrew, there’s no word for “you,” though it’s clearly implied. It actually reads, “He will quiet with his love.” With His presence, He will quiet you, and He will also quiet Himself.

When you’re hurting, the worst support can be the person who rushes in with a thousand things to say, like “I know how you feel.” People say so much, yet the One who could say everything says nothing at first. No judgment. No condemnation. No questioning. No pressure for you to explain. Just there, present with you. Silent.

He will quiet Himself, and He will quiet you. He will quiet your mind that reviews, reviews, reviews. He will quiet your heart that hurts, hurts, hurts. He will quiet your mouth that might lash out in pain to hurt others.

How does He quiet you? With His love. When He breaks the silence, He will be singing over you a song. The song is about the Father’s love—His immense, unchanging, unrelenting, undeserved, all-forgiving, all-knowing, all-penetrating, all-healing love for you.

And for other types of wounds, Father God gives faithful, unchanging reality. His love is a certainty. God’s enduring, unassailable, unimpeachable, unqualified, unconditional love for His children is your reality. His love never changes. It doesn’t grow with your success; it doesn’t diminish with your failure. This verse settles the issue: He “will save,” “will rejoice,” “will quiet,” “will exult.” Knowing what God will do gives you confidence in Him. Not your mom. Not your dad. Not your past. Not your regrets. God’s love to you in Christ is your reality. You don’t deserve it. You didn’t earn it. It doesn’t come with good behavior, nor is it forfeited with bad behavior, because it’s not from you. It’s from God, who needs nothing. In His grace, He sets His love upon you.

And celebration is coming. “He will exult over you with loud singing.” God exults over you. This is your reality. Not what your boss says. Not your past. Not your problems. God is delighting in you this moment, singing a love song over you.

Human words can never capture God’s love. This song might be the closest we can get. The words of the third stanza of “The Love of God,” by F. M. Lehman, were written by a Jewish rabbi, circa 1050 AD.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

This is our reality: the infinite love of God. Whatever your earthly family or friends aren’t, you have a Father in heaven who loves you immensely.

Journal

• What heart wounds do you need healed?
• Deep down, do you really believe God loves you?

Pray
Father, so many of us are the walking wounded. And You, our perfect heavenly Father, want to heal us. You give us Yourself—Your presence and the unchanging reality of Your love. I can’t begin to grasp how much You love me. Give me faith to believe You are singing over me the Father’s song of love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Arm of God

Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young Isaiah 40:10–11 esv

Have you ever given much thought to God’s arms? (“God has arms?” you might be wondering.) When God describes His arms, He doesn’t tell us their circumference or how much He can lift—those are human, physical terms, like the jock showing off at the gym. But God’s description of His arms tells us some awesome things about Him. In fact, the dual description of God’s arms in this passage shows us His power and His comfort.

“Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him.” When the Bible talks about God’s right arm, it refers to His powerful, ruling arm—His justice, His holiness, and His strength. God is like that. He is all that and more.

But then the very next verse describes His tender shepherd arm. “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” If you’ve spent any time in church, sadly you’ve probably heard one extreme or the other: a ton of preaching about the transcendent, holy, awesome Judge or a ton of preaching about the tender, loving, merciful Shepherd. But He’s both, right? In this passage we clearly see both. Don’t let God’s nearness minimize His transcendence nor let His transcendence make you think He isn’t very aware of you individually.

Imagine a shepherd in the fields, and this gives you a picture of God. A shepherd can oversee hundreds of sheep, but he holds only one at a time. He gathers the lambs one by one in his arms. The point here is that this awesome God cares for you. Personally. Individually. Yes, He’s guarding a big flock, but when He cares for the lambs, He tends to them one by one. This is God’s love for you. Personal. Individual. Attentive. Aware. Devoted. That’s how He cares for you.

When He carries His lambs, He holds them “in his bosom.” Picture that. He doesn’t hold us awkwardly squirming at arms’ length. No, He draws us close, right to His own heart.

And He will “gently lead those that are with young.” The sheep that is about to give birth is vulnerable, with unique needs. And the shepherd accommodates those needs. In the same way, when our needs are great, the Lord is that much more attentive to us. Some of us are at a point of acute need right now in our business or in our family. God knows what it is. And just as pressing as that need is, His attention matches that. He’s on it! He is right there, gently leading those whose circumstances demand additional care.

So which one is He – mighty or tender? Yes. His arm is a picture of absolute power and unconditional love.

That’s your King. That’s your Shepherd.

Journal

• According to A.W. Tozer, the most important fact about any person is “what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.” How does Isaiah 40 shape your theology—your thoughts about God?
• On which side do you tend to err—God as Judge or God as Shepherd? Why is it important for you to realize He’s both mighty and tender, both transcendent and near?

Pray
As I behold You, my Lord God, I am in awe of who You are. You are the King. You rule the universe with Your feet up. Absolute power. You are also my Shepherd. You lovingly hold me close and tend to my heart. Absolute love. Open my eyes that I may see You more clearly, and stir in me fresh worship and love for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Finding God in a Crisis – Remember His Presence, Peace, Power

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Finding God in a Crisis – Remember His Presence, Peace, Power

Psalm 46

It’s time for a psalm of calm.

Even in a world of tumult, the real battle is within: How can you calm your heart when inside you’re a raging storm?

Life’s hardest moments call for more than a quick fix. Turn with me to Psalm 46, as we seek the power of God’s presence.

Eight Steps to Conflict Resolution

Eight Steps to Conflict Resolution | Audio Only | Matthew 18:15-17

The Rest of Christmas (Joy to the World)

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Joy To The World
Psalm 98

Game Changing Faith (with MLB Umpire Ted Barrett)

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Game Changing Faith

We were thrilled to welcome our dear friend Ted Barrett to speak to the men at Rock Bottom. Ted spent years working as an MLB umpire, he humorously told us, “Jesus loves umpires—because no one else does.“

His journey is truly inspiring, as he shares his path from salvation and learning to follow Jesus, to his time in Major League Baseball, and ultimately answering God’s call to ministry. He even founded a motorcycle club in Phoenix!

Join us to hear Ted Barrett’s powerful testimony and discover how God wants to use each and every one of us!

Rejecting Shame

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Rejecting Shame | Genesis 3

What is the opposite of love?

While love fills our souls, uplifts our minds and brings us joy, there is one particular emotion that stands in stark contrast – and this message from Rock Bottom has the answer. If you’re struggling in your spirit with the fallout of your choices, don’t miss it…

The Glory of Love | John 13:31-38

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The Glory of Love | John 13:31-38

5 Responses To The Gospel of Jesus Christ | John 11:45-53

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5 Responses To The Gospel of Jesus Christ | John 11:45-53

Salvation Evidence | John 3:17-36

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Salvation Evidence | John 3:17-36