December 26

The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing. — Zeph 3:17 BSB

What a mighty God we have to deal with! And what would suit our case except a mighty God? Haven't we mighty sins, mighty trials, mighty temptations, mighty foes, and mighty fears? Who can deliver us from this mighty host except the mighty God? A little god, if I may say so, would not suffice for God’s people. We need a mighty God, for our circumstances demand nothing less.

If we didn't deeply and personally know our mighty sins, trials, temptations, and fears, we wouldn’t feel the need for a mighty God. The very sense of our weakness, misery, and ruin on one hand, and His power, mercy, and recovery on the other, leads us to have personal, real dealings with God. And it is in these personal dealings with Him that the essence of true religion lies.

How poor, dead, and useless is a religion with no personal dealings with God—no calling upon Him in sincerity, no seeking His face or imploring His favor, no lying at His feet begging Him to appear, no wounds or sores for Him to heal, no fears for Him to dispel, no soul for Him to save. Yet, that describes the religion of many. They draw near to God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him, while inwardly resisting His dominion over them. If you differ from them and long for a mighty God who is near to your soul, you can bless Him for the grace that has made you to differ, and bow with thanksgiving under the sufferings and trials that bring you closer to Him.