Weekly Devotional

BE WHO GOD CALLS ME TO BE

 The LORD your God is with you,
   the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
   in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
   but will rejoice over you with singing.”
                Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It was brought to my attention during a pivotal time in my life - a time when I was searching to understand more about God. My perception of God was that of a judge. I was trying to “do” the right things, but failed consistently. I was under the impression that I had to be perfect or God would not love me. I could never measure up to what God expected.

I was at a spiritual retreat and the speaker shared this verse and how she pictured God as her Daddy. She envisioned herself sitting on his lap. She told Him everything. She shared her hopes and dreams with Him. She shared her failures and fears with Him. I had never looked at God in that light before.

I was amazed! God wants us to come to him and share ourselves. God takes great delight in me! Yes! He takes great delight in you too! He rejoices over us with singing!

I left that weekend with a new confidence; a confidence in God’s love for me. No matter what I have done or will do, God loves me! I have a new perspective on wanting to live for God. It’s not to “do” the right thing, it’s to be who God calls me to be. I look for ways to grow and mature in my faith. I look at God as my Heavenly Father, wanting me to be the best “me” I can be.