welcome and thanks for meditating with abide for more guided Christian meditations download
the abide app in the iTunes or Google Play Store have you recently felt distant or separated from
God well first let's explore how you view God do you see him as a cosmic judge who determines your
value by the things you do for him or do you imagine him sitting on his throne only taking
notice of us when things go wrong or maybe as a distant creator out of touch or care with the
daily struggles of his creation or finally do you see him as a God that delights specifically
in you his designed and created child so which is it a judging God a reacting God a distant
God or a delighting God your answer may be why he feels distant from you so join me today as
we meditate pray and reflect on our father's God's delight in you from Zephaniah chapter 3
verse 17 but first as we do please join me in a moment of opening prayer dear Heavenly Father I
suppose the answer is all of the above I feel your judgment at times I feel your reactions to me and
yes I even feel your distance but what I want most is to feel your delight your presence in
my life so transform my mind Lord God transform my spirit in my soul to feel your present midst
around me it won't be easy so Lord God I ask this now by your authority and in the name of
Christ your son to whom I pray amen we so often cry out God hear me God show yourself God come
close to me and those are good and Noble thoughts and they're easy for him to answer and respond to
because he is hearing he is showing himself and he is close so today I hope this time of longer
deeper meditation will help you experience his very real and present presence in your life the
joys and the aches that come with each beat of the heart that he created in us so as we begin take a
few deep relaxing breaths peaceful centering just calm breathing today and settle into wherever you
are resting in his mighty presence and feeling his rejoicing over you just be quiet and still in his
present midst his presence around you because his presence is where we will be going today
scan your life in your body for a moment what view do you have of God that might be
keeping you from experiencing him confess any word or thought or deed or action keeping you
from encountering God today and then thank him for his grace his love mercy and forgiveness
God is an ever-present God and the Holy Spirit is his midst and jesus embodies
his love listen carefully to every detail as I read from Zephaniah chapter three verse 17 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 what
stood out to you from that passage it's powerful listen to it again carefully 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 and he will exalt over you with loud singing reflect
here on how God might be using this passage to touch your life today may be this very moment
I so loved that word midst it means the interior or central part a position of
proximity the condition of being surrounded God is central and our interior he has taken
a position in our heart he surrounds us with his very present being through the Holy Spirit
he can be no closer to you than he is at this very moment so rest there in his midst
his present midst no words for a moment just smile and rejoice that the creator
of time and space has chosen to spend eternal time in your midst in the space of your heart
listen again as i read from Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 17 the Lord your God is in your midst
a warrior who saves he will rejoice over you with joy he will be quiet in his love
making no mention of your past sins he will rejoice over you with shouts of joy
what did you hear this time did you hear something familiar or deeper than before
maybe something new and fresh will focus their even deeper and quiet meditation
I just feel like we should keep reading this verse over and over and letting it pour over us soak in
it again in your midst a warrior who saves you he rejoices over you he makes no mention of your
past he shouts joyful words over you consider that the sole creator of time space planets everything
he saves you he heals you and he doesn't do that and then just walk off he is still here right now
in your midst still so stay there soaked here feel his arms his presence now in your midst stay there
I can't help but get emotional hearing that he will be quiet in his love making no mention of
past sins against God and God alone have I sinned he has every right to mention them to me and often
but in my midst there is nothing but love from him quiet loving love no mention of my past
how does that feel to you whisper your response to him now and let your whisper be your prayer
listen one and final time as I read and you meditate on Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 17 the Lord
your God wins victory after victory and is always with you he celebrates in sings because of you
and he will refresh your life with his love this book was written by the Prophet Zephaniah around
630 BC he was announcing the Lord's judgment and joyful proclamations and blessings over
the people especially over the faithful remaining believers in Judah but he could deliver this same
message from any pulpit in any church today so using your sanctified imagination imagine being
in a Pew hearing the Prophet Zephaniah sharing this message sitting in the pew feeling alone
feeling rejected perhaps feeling shame and then you hear that God is present with you in your
midst God doesn't reject you God has forgiven and forgotten your past how does that feel to hear
what have you felt or experienced during this time of meditation we'll offer it now
to the Lord in quiet reflection as a gift to him seek his application of it into your life today
join me in a moment of closing prayer dear father God you are the one who created the depth of the
oceans and the strength of the mountains and the vastness of space yet you see me and know me as a
good father swells with pride at everything from his child's first steps to first job interview
so you are pleased with me you not only hear my thoughts but you understand them you see my work
in my rest and you are proud of me because I am yours to be known so intimately as both beautiful
and frightening but you see the darkest parts of me and you love me so much you not only shine your
light into the darkness but you came to redeem it through your son you are my mighty Savior
through your spirit you are always with me and his father you rejoice over me with joyful songs
I am humbled and grateful and I offer and pray this in the name of Jesus your son our Savior
in my Lord amen before rushing off into a day a day that may feel lonely at times I want you to
pause for a moment and remember he is in your midst you are not alone you actually can't even
leave his presence but set aside time here to stay for a moment recognizing it feeling his presence
feeling his embrace and I hope that recognition of his midst will bring you into a place of peace
and alignment with God today as you meditate and abide in Christ we hope this meditation brought
you peace for more Christian meditations download the abide out in iTunes or the Google Play Store