Notes on Hope Devotional

Lost and Found

Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.”

A few years ago, I lost three things in a period of 2 months, all of which left me feeling inadequate, afraid, insecure, and not in control. My wallet was the primary item I lost, which started the list. I was on a mission to find the perfect tablecloth and ran into Kohl’s with my coupon in hand. After combing through the linens section and getting down on my hands and knees to find the “one,” I was ready to make the purchase.

Once at the counter, I had the coupon but discovered I didn’t have my wallet. Panicked, I returned to the car and drove home, hoping to find my wallet there. In the car, I found myself praying, pleading, and begging God to help me find my wallet while at the same time feeling helpless, inept, and foolish. “Ok, God, now would be a good time to come to the rescue,” was my plea.

My wallet wasn’t at home. Back to Kohl’s, I went, on the verge of tears and planning to look up, “What to do when you lose your wallet?” Inside the store, I returned to the linen section and found a salesperson (which at Kohl’s is not easy). I asked her if she had seen a wallet. She responded, “A pink one?” and I said, “Yes!” She directed me to the customer service area, where I gave the clerk the description and my name and was reunited with my wallet. I had gone from 10 on the panic scale to 10 on the jubilant scale in less than 5 seconds!

My circumstances determined my feelings of security. I had caved under the pressure of losing my identity, both literally and figuratively. It was easy to forget who I was in those moments of fear and anxiety. I was allowing what happened to me to define me, not remembering that God was able to help me, whether I found my wallet or not….or that He loved me and actually delighted in me. Beth Moore says, “We have such unbelief concerning our new identities in Christ that we practically let Satan get away with murder—the murder of a new self-concept defined by the Word of God.”

Funny how feelings can derail what we believe in a situation we have no control over. Ah, but let’s consider what we do have control over. I can choose to believe what God says about me, despite my feelings or circumstances, and accept my weaknesses as part of being human.

I can be reminded of the words of the prophet Zephaniah: how the Lord loves me, is with me, delights in me, and is able to calm my anxious heart.  I can rest in the promise, "The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for this promise. Let it saturate my brain to experience the love and delight You have for me. I invite You to quiet my heart with Your love. In Jesus Name, Amen.