Psalm 18:25-30

With the merciful you show yourself merciful;

with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

with the purified you show yourself pure;

and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

For you save a humble people,

but the haughty eyes you bring down.

For it is you who light my lamp,

the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

This God -- his way is perfect,

the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

(Psalm 18:25-30, ESV)

I love how it talks about God showing his qualities of mercy, blamelessness and purity to the merciful blameless and pure.  He just shows what he is.  

But to the crooked he makes himself seem tortuous.  Because he is not tortuous.  Yet, to those who spit in his face, he seems as though he is.

Also:  "...and by my God I can leap over a wall." 

How fantastic is that?

This God.  My God.

Selections from Zephaniah

I read Zephaniah today.  I enjoyed it more than I remembered.

I really liked this part, because I love the seashore:

The seacoast shall become the possession 

of the remnant of the house of Judah

on which they shall graze,

and in the houses of Ashkelon

they shall lie down at evening.

For the Lord their God will be mindful of them

and restore their fortunes.

Zephaniah 2:7 (ESV)

This was a part I had never noticed before... God promises to undo the effects of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) on The Day of The Lord:

For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples

to a pure speech,

that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord

and serve Him with one accord.

Zephaniah 3:9 (ESV)

And last, I will leave you with the most famous verse from Zephaniah, and one of my personal favorites:

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 you by His love;

He will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)