"You will fear disaster no more"

¹⁴ Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! 
Shout in triumph, O Israel! 
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, 
O daughter of Jerusalem! 
¹⁵ The LORD has taken away His judgments against you, 
He has cleared away your enemies. 
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You will fear disaster no more. 
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: 
Do not be afraid, O Zion; 
Do not let your hands fall limp. 
 “The LORD your God is in your midst, 
A victorious warrior. 
He will exult over you with joy, 
He will be quiet in His love, 
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. 
Zephaniah 3:14-17


This is the sweet promise the Lord gave to me recently. I was able to walk into a situation free of fear because the Lord my God was with me. And when disaster did come, there was not fear. I was hoping this promise meant that there would be no disaster. Yet, in this life there will be. (Oh the glorious day when Christ returns there will be disasters no more!) There will be disasters yet I do not need to fear them because the Lord my God is my midst. He is with me. He is mighty to save. He rejoices over me with shouts of joy. The disasters I fear the most are the ones that I cause. The times I do not make a wise decision. The times when my emotions get in the way. Personal interactions with others that do not go well. Why do I fear personal disasters? Because I fear failure. I fear letting others down. I am basing my opinion and approval of myself based on my performance. 


When I truly know and value the precious truth that God is with me. He delights over me. He is mighty to save. I no longer fear disasters because nothing I say or do changes these glorious truths. Whether I perform well or poorly, I can still be confident in the truth that my Abba Father loves and delights in me. Recently when I fell down, I saw my Abba Father save me and make a way for me. When I was emotionally drained, I took great comfort in the fact that my Abba Father was quieting me with His love. During my best and worst moments my Abba Father was rejoicing over me with shouts of joy. 


Oh Lord God, may you take this truth deeper and deeper into my heart. May my identity be so firmly planted in You, may Your abundant love be ever before me, that I will no longer fear disaster for YOU my God, my Abba Father, is with me.