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Loving God with an Undecaying Love

22 Apr
Loving God with an Undecaying Love

I’m continuing in my series about our love for God. In my last post I talked about the spiritual fragrance of that love. We are to portray the same aroma as Christ.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Ephesians 6:24 NIV

In this verse Paul tells us that there’s grace available to all who love Christ with an undecaying love. The problem is that we live in a world bound by decay. Everything runs down. We see it all around us.

Here we’re told that our love for God should not decay. How is that accomplished?

When a satellite is put into orbit, it immediately starts to decay. Eventually it will fall to earth and burn up in the atmosphere. That is, unless it uses power (thrusters) to maintain the orbit.

Where do we find the power to keep our love for God strong? Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment of Scripture was.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Mark 12:30 NIV

It turns out that these are the four thrusters that keep our love in orbit around God. These are not four separate issues – they overlap in some areas. We have to understand that our walk with God is not based upon a single issue. Everything we do affects everything else.

First of all, I must love God with all my heart. You have a body, soul, and spirit. Your soul is who you are. Within your soul is your mind, which is the storage area for all of your experiences.

Also within your soul is your heart. You can look at your heart as the garden, full of good soil. It’s where the spiritual seed that you plant grows. Please understand, whatever you plant in your heart will grow – good or bad.

Within your heart are your intentions, it shows where you’re headed. What you place into your heart is where you’re going to end up eventually. It doesn’t matter what your mind thinks. Your heart sets the direction for your life.

That’s the importance of loving God with your heart.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5 NIV

Here’s where the power comes from for this thruster. God doesn’t just pour His love into our hearts. He uses the channel of the Holy Spirit. If I don’t give the Holy Spirit permission to pour into my life, then it’s not going to happen. If I spend time with the Spirit, then I get the reward.

The second thing Christ said was that I must love God with all my soul. As I’ve said, my soul is who I am. It’s the soul that’s the authority over my flesh. It’s the soul that decides to answer the demands of the spirit vs. the flesh.

If my heart is positioned to love God, then it’s that much easier for the soul to come into agreement. That’s because the soul has to do something that goes against its very nature.

John 15:13 NIV

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

What is your life? Many are more willing to die for Christ than to live for Him. How much of your money would you give up? How much of your time would you give up? How many of your plans would you give up? These are the issues of your soul.

What are you willing to put down in order to fulfill His plan? It’s easy to see that if God doesn’t have your heart, he won’t get your soul. Where your heart is, your treasure is. People are willing to lay everything down in search of treasure. Is God your treasure?

I’ll continue this in my next post.

Question; How far are you willing to go for Christ?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2026 in Encouragement, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Fragrance of God’s Love

20 Apr
The Fragrance of God’s Love

I’ve been posting about how we’re to love God. In my last article we saw how this involves an imitation of His love for us. Today, I want to continue along those lines.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV

We’re told that our lives should portray a love like that of Christ. But, what does it mean to live a life of love just as Christ did? It’s obvious that He showed us a sacrificial love. This kind of love becomes a sweet-smelling fragrance before God.

This tells me that in order to love God we must use His perfume.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 NIV

Because of His work in us, we give off the same spiritual aroma as Christ did. Of course this assumes that we hang around Him.

I remember a time when I was at a church retreat. We had some great times around a campfire at night. We sang and I cooked s’mores over the fire. I remember distinctly that when I arrived home, my clothes still smelled like smoke.

In the same way, if you spend time in His presence, you’ll begin to smell like Him. People won’t know why, but they’ll know your life is different because of the love of God in you.

The next verse after the one above says that to some it will smell like death, and to some it will smell like life. We need His perfume to cover the stink of our flesh.

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

John 12:3 NIV

Here we see Mary, Martha’s sister, pouring out an expensive perfume as an act of worship. The fragrance filled the house. Some who smelled it thought it was a wonderful gift. Others thought it was a waste of money.

It’s the same for us. Some think that a life lived for Christ is a beautiful thing. To others it’s a waste of time. There’s too many other things that they’d rather do.

However, if you want people to see the Lord in you, there’s no other way.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 NIV

This verse brings an important question to mind. Will people take note that you’ve been with Jesus? Will God’s love radiate out of you? Will you spread everywhere the aroma of Christ?

It’s time to let God’s love work a love for Him in you. Let it rub off on you. Start allowing your life to pick up the fragrance of Christ.

Question: How have you seen others affected by the love of Christ in you?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2026 in Encouragement, Spiritual Walk

 

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Imitating God’s Love

17 Apr
Imitating God’s Love

In my last post, I started to talk about loving God. We can’t begin to love Him properly without first experiencing the love of Christ.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children…

Ephesians 5:1 NIV

We’re to imitate the Lord as dearly loved children. Notice that he does not say that we’re dearly loved people. He calls us children because it implies relationship. In this relationship is the principle of imitation.

That’s because in order to love God correctly, we must imitate His love. Being a part of God’s kingdom is a family relationship. Imitation is a big part of family life.

Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

1 Corinthians 4:15-16 NIV

Notice that because we’re in a family relationship, we must, therefore, imitate those who are further along than us. That’s what a family relationship is all about. This is why Paul could say, “I became your father – so imitate me.”

When you have a loving relationship between father and child, there’s a desire to imitate.

“I want to be just like him.”

There’s always a desire to imitate those we love. Wherever you place your love, there’s a tendency to imitate. Married couples tend to pick up some of the other’s traits. “Gangs” do the same sort of thing.

Those that you give your devotion to become objects of imitation. But that only comes by time spent with those persons.

Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 48:9 NIV

This is an interesting verse in the original Hebrew. There’s actually no English word to translate the word, meditate, accurately. It means to consider, resemble, compare, or liken.

It’s saying that when I come into your presence, I begin to think deeply about who you are compared to who I am. Then I start to consider what I can do to resemble you. But, I have to experience His love in order to meditate on it to this level. Thank God, I have His Holy Spirit to guide me.

The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I become like Him. It’s not a matter of trying harder to be like Jesus. Imitation is a natural outgrowth of a close relationship.

It’s just like what happens in a natural family. We pick up the traits of those we live with. This includes attitudes and temperament. It also affects our likes and dislikes. It determines how we view the world around us.

For instance, I don’t really care about watching sports, which some people think is very weird. However, that’s simply because my parents never watched any sports while I was growing up. So it’s something I never got a taste for.

It works the same way in the spiritual world. By spending time with the Lord, I can begin to pick up His attitudes. I will start to love what He loves and dislike what He dislikes. I find myself treating people the same way that Christ did.

It doesn’t happen immediately. But, over time, I begin to recognize the changes taking place in me.

Spend quality time in the Lord’s presence. That’s the way to see lasting transformation.

Question: What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in your spiritual life?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2026 in Encouragement, Prayer, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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Loving God with a Clean Heart

15 Apr
Loving God with a Clean Heart

For the past few weeks I’ve been posting about the love of God. His love is so amazing that I probably only scratched the surface.

My goal was to give us what we need in order to show our love for the Lord. We needed that foundation to know how to love our God.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”

John 15:9 NIV

Jesus, in His time with the disciples, passed on the love of the Father to us. By seeing how Jesus loved, we understand the Father’s love. He has asked us to remain, live, dwell, or abide in this love. This tells me that to love God we must draw from His love.

It’s only as I live in and experience the love of Christ, that I’m truly equipped to show love to Him. If I can’t receive His love, I can’t return it. I love Him because He first loved me. How is it that His love helps me to love Him?

Let’s look at one of the first places in Scripture that it tells us about how to love God.

The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

Deuteronomy 30:6 NIV

Because of the wholehearted love which God has for us we need to return it. The problem is that we’re unable to. Our hearts are sinful, full of baggage, junk, and sin. Only He can perform the necessary surgery my heart needs.

In order to love God, our hearts must be circumcised. But, what does it mean to circumcise our hearts?

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,

Colossians 2:11 NIV

The fact is that there’s no way my sinful nature could ever love God. Or even want to love God, for that matter. There must be a work done in us by the Spirit of Christ.

This is why time with Him is so important. He does not do this work in us without our permission. In Philippians 3:18-19, Paul wrote that many believers live as enemies of the cross. Their focus is on earthly things. The way God loves us, He doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment.

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh…

Philippians 3:3 NIV

This is how a life of loving God should be. We must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the love and worship of God.

The truth is that our flesh cannot and will not free itself from the stain of sin. The clean-up process must come from an outside source – the Holy Spirit.

As I spend time in the spirit, I am allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work of spiritual circumcision that only He can do. He can bring my heart to the place where I can truly love God in the way that He deserves.

It’s not a matter of more will power or trying harder. It’s making yourself available to the Spirit for Him to accomplish that transforming work. That’s why it’s so important to spend time daily in the Lord’s presence.

Question: How much time do spend daily in prayer and in the Word of God?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 15, 2026 in Encouragement, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Ministers of God’s Covenant

10 Apr
Ministers of God’s Covenant

As we continue to learn about God’s covenant of love, we need to see how the work of Christ on the cross remodeled it.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 NIV

Notice that the Lord didn’t cancel the covenant, but the written code. He simply dealt with the law, the addendum to the covenant. This remodeled the covenant once again. He gave it a refresh.

This gives us a new perspective on our relationship with God.

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV

He has made us qualified, enabled servants of the renewed covenant. How did the Lord make us competent to serve this covenant? By a set of rules? Absolutely not!! It’s by the Spirit!

This tells me that the covenant of love requires the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to work His will in us. Rules didn’t work.

Just read the Old Testament. Human beings don’t have the power to fulfill God’s requirements. We need God Himself working in us.

Now we have to check our attitudes. Are we merely following the rules, or are we living as friends of God?

“I’m okay – I go to church, pay my tithes, etc.”

No, it’s all about relationship. Those who only follow rules don’t understand the love of the Father. The covenant of love should drive us to please Christ.

I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.

Daniel 9:4-5 NIV

It’s this covenant of love that causes us to live a repentant lifestyle. We need to be quick to repent when prompted by the Holy Spirit.

…and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below – you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.”

1 Kings 8:23 NIV

This verse literally says that this covenant of love is kept with the Lord’s servants who walk before your face with all their heart. God wants us to turn our hearts toward Him. If I truly understand the covenant I am in – God’s covenant of love – it will change the way I serve Him.

That’s why I needed to see God’s love for me before I ever looked at what it means for me to love God. I need a revelation of God as my friend. He is emotional about me and I need to respond in the same way to Him.

Understand the covenant of love and let it change you.

Question: How does your life represent God’s love?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2026 in Encouragement, Legalism, Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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God’s Covenant – Love Vs Law

08 Apr
God’s Covenant – Love Vs Law

Lately I’ve been talking about God’s covenant of love. If we’re to love Him, we must first know His love. This is not a covenant of convenience or need. It’s a commitment to participate in each other’s lives.

In this post, I want to talk about covenant.

And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’

Acts 3:25 NIV

Most Christians don’t understand what covenant they’re in. Today’s teachings in the modern church are so mixed up. We get into arguments over the Sabbath and graven images.

The fact is that whenever covenant taught in the New Testament, it’s in relation to Abraham. We’re always called the children of Abraham, not Israel.

You have to understand that Abraham was given the covenant of love. This brings up a number of questions. What do we as believers follow? What’s the place of the law? How about the Ten commandments?

In talking about the people of Israel, Paul says…

Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.

Romans 9:4b NIV

Wait a minute, according to this verse the covenant and the law are two separate things. Wasn’t the law the last covenant?

Paul explains it this way.

What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.

Galatians 3:17 NIV

We have to understand that the law didn’t replace Abraham’s covenant. When the law was given, the covenant of Abraham was remodeled. Why is that?

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.

Galatians 3:19 NIV

The law was not a new covenant. It was added to the covenant to remodel it. You could say that the law was an addendum to the covenant of Abraham.

This is because Abraham didn’t need laws to serve God. He was called a friend of God (James 2:23). The word used for friend meant an emotional love for God. Abraham liked being with God.

This shows me that a covenant of love needs no rules. Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph also liked being with God. You can tell by their lives they had an “Anything for you, Lord” attitude.

However, as time went on, eventually the children of Israel lost that friendship. Because of transgressions – the constant breaking of the covenant – God added the law. This became an addendum to the covenant.

It was the same covenant, but it had to be tweaked. Basically, God was telling them, “This is what it means to be My friend. You must live differently than those around you.” So God put the demands of the covenant in writing.

But God never wanted this arrangement to be permanent.

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Jeremiah 31:33 NIV

He made it clear that there was coming a day when He would restore the covenant back to the way it used to be. That was Christ’s mission. To show the LOVE of the Father. To end the addendum of law, and remodel it to a covenant of love once more.

In my next post I’ll continue along this line.

Question: Why is it difficult to serve God by following a set of rules?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2026 in Israel, Legalism, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Commitment of Love

06 Apr
The Commitment of Love

Lately I’ve been posting about God’s love. In my last article, I started dealing with God’s covenant of love. Covenant goes much deeper than any contract.

That’s why in ancient times it was always ratified through the shedding and mingling of blood. Then, both parties could always see the scar and remember their commitment to each other.

This is because when you’re in covenant you can hold nothing back. In my last post, I talked a little about Jonathan and David.

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

1 Samuel 18:3-4 NIV

At this point in his life, David had nothing. Jonathan, on the other hand, was the king’s son. This exchange is only a shadow of God’s commitment to us.

Jonathan gave David his robe and tunic. God clothes us in His righteousness. Jonathan gave his sword, bow, and belt. We can be protected in the armor of God.

We don’t seem to get it. We keep acting like we’re under contract with God. If I do this then God will do that. God’s love for us is much deeper than this. Remember what I talked about a couple of posts ago.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all– how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32 NIV

This verse shows us the covenant mindset of God. It should be an example to us. He held nothing back for us. My response should be that everything I have is His. I must hold back nothing.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

Psalm 25:10 NIV

The literal Hebrew of this verse actually says that the Lord’s loving and faithful ways are for those who keep the covenant witness. This is a good way of saying it, because covenant demands commitment.

We say that we’re in covenant with God. This means that there was a shedding and mingling of blood. Christ explained this to His disciples.

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 26:28 NIV

It means that there is unconditional trust. It means that nothing is held back. It also means that we are eternally committing ourselves to the covenant. It also means that God has committed Himself to the demands of the covenant.

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 NIV

This is a beautiful description of covenant. The covenant will be upheld. The only thing to ruin it is if I disown it.

In ancient times, if you broke covenant, your family would hunt you down and kill you. Breaking covenant was literally dying to the other partner. Thus the saying, “You are dead to me.”

But, being faithless – without faith – doesn’t break the covenant. God binds Himself regardless of what we think. No matter how discouraged you may get, He will not abandon you.

We may not understand what we see presently. But, we’re in a covenant of love with God. What we really need is a revelation of that covenant. We need to understand just how committed God is to us.

Question: How have you experienced God’s commitment to you?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2026 in Encouragement, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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God’s Covenant of Love

03 Apr

Over the last few posts, I’ve been talking about God’s love. If we’re to love Him, we must first know His love.

So far, I’ve talked about some general aspects of His love. The Lord blesses us, He sows His Word in us, He disciplines us, and He gives Himself for us.

Today, I want to take it to a higher level. True love desires fellowship and sharing. But there has to be a commitment of sharing.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

This is the first time in Scripture that the term, covenant of love, is used. We know that we serve a God of covenant. The fact is that entering into covenant is God’s desire.

The Lord doesn’t just talk about love. He wants a commitment to love. That’s why His faithfulness is emphasized in this verse.

That word, faithful, literally means firmness or certainty, like the arms of a parent holding a helpless infant. His faithfulness is long-lasting. 1000 generations, which equals about 20,000 years. That’s much longer than I need to worry about!

The problem is that in our society, we don’t understand covenant. We do agreements and contracts. These are based upon unfaithfulness and mistrust. If I don’t put it in writing, I have no guarantee you’ll fulfill your part in this.

A covenant, on the other hand, is based upon faithfulness and trust. You don’t enter covenant with someone, unless you know the one you are covenanting with. I have to unconditionally trust the one I’m in covenant with.

Job had it right.

Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

Job 13:15 NIV

That’s quite a statement of faith. He didn’t have the Bible like we do. Yet this was Job’s way of saying,”I don’t understand what’s happening to me. But, if God himself stood before me right now and took my life, I would die trusting Him.”

I look at that and then I think about how we react to God sometimes.

“God, I tithed this week, where’s the money I asked you for?”

We don’t really seem to understand love based upon covenant.

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

1 Samuel 18:3 NIV

You have to understand that Jonathan and David were old army buddies. They had fought together. They knew that they had each other’s back. Their covenant formalized that bond. Men don’t think it’s “manly” to admit this bond today.

Historically, covenants were made for different reasons. Sometimes for mutual protection. Sometimes to increase their wealth, families joined in covenant.

But, ours is a covenant of love that we’re talking about. We’ve stuck together through victory and defeat. So, we want to officially declare our commitment to each other’s welfare.

This is the type of covenant that God is speaking about. He wants us to understand His commitment to us. It’s very important that we understand this concept. So, I’ll continue to explain more about it in the next few posts.

Question: How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2026 in Encouragement, Faith, Fellowship, Relationships

 

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God’s Love and Giving

01 Apr
God’s Love and Giving

I’ve been posting about the love of God. In the last few articles, I talked about the Lord breaking the curse, sowing the Word, and His discipline. Today, I’ll move on to another important aspect of His love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 NIV

In God’s love we see the greatest example of giving. It’s not just any giving. He gave His very best. This is one of the most amazing aspects of His love.

But as I said, it should be an example to us.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

1 John 3:16 NIV

According to the example of Christ, love knows no limits. There’s no holding back.

The world has no concept of this. Think about it. These days prenuptial agreements are very common. We’re basically agreeing that this is mine and that is yours.

The fact is that real love gives up all – there’s no “my” in true love. It reminds me of the parable of the Prodigal Son in Scripture.

In that story, the younger son took his inheritance early and left home. When he spent it all and became destitute, he returned home. At that point, the father welcomed him with open arms and restored him to his full status as a son.

The older brother wasn’t too pleased with this.

But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

Luke 15:29-30 NIV

This older brother was upset because he never left the farm. In his mind, he acted like a slave, doing whatever his father asked of him.

Look at the words of the father to this son.

‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’

Luke 15:31 NIV

This son had no reason to be upset. He had everything he needed. He could have celebrated with his friends any time he wanted to.

It’s the same with us. Why do you feel so upset when things don’t seem to be going your way? Just remember how much the Lord has already given to you. More than that, there’s so much more that He has ahead of you.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32 NIV

There are some who think that serving God is such a chore. They begrudge doing anything for the Lord. They need to see the love of God in all of its beauty.

We need to meditate on His love as well. The Lord blesses and sows His Word in us. Yes, He disciplines us, but He also gives abundantly to His children.

We need to spend time in the presence of His Holy Spirit so we can walk in this amazing love.

Question: How have you experienced God’s gracious giving?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2026 in Encouragement, The Gospel

 

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God’s Love – Sowing and Discipline

30 Mar
God’s Love – Sowing and Discipline

I’ve been posting about the beauty of God’s love for us. Since He loved us first, it’s difficult to love God without this knowledge.

In my last post, I talked about how God’s love overturns the curse into a blessing. Today, I’ll show you more important aspects of His love.

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.

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

God enjoys being with you. He longs for you to remain in His presence. It should be a place of peaceful safety for us.

The Hebrew word for quiet, in the above verse, is hard to translate. It’s main definition is to plow. Secondarily, it also means to be quiet and meditate.

This tells me that two things happen in His presence. He plows, plants His Word in us, and we meditate. In God’s love we see the sowing of His Word.

The fact is that real love sows into someone else’s life. God is the great Gardener. He plows our hearts with His love. Then we must meditate on what we see in Him.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5 NIV

God’s love is poured out from God into our hearts. He’s sowing this love into us through the Holy Spirit. If we spend time with Him, then we’ll have the resources and ability to sow into the lives of others.

Of course there’s another aspect of God’s love that we may not readily enjoy.

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV

This is probably the aspect we like the least. In God’s love we see discipline. Yes, that word, discipline – we all need it – but we don’t look forward to it.

The word, discipline, means to be trained toward maturity or mastery. According to this passage, it involves two things we find uncomfortable.

First of all it requires rebuke which means we must be told our faults and failures. Secondly, it sometimes involves punishment.

How is this accomplished?

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 NIV

Punishment is a short, temporary discomfort to remind you of the of the consequences of your actions. This verse makes it clear that there’s a present uncomfortable situation and an afterwards restoration.

In the natural, with every child it’s different. With some, if you talk sternly to them they’ll burst into tears. Others, you must take away phone privileges. God deals with us in the same personal way.

If we read the whole section, however, we see that the goal is a harvest of righteousness and peace. That means He wants our health, prosperity, safety, joy, fruitfulness, and fulfillment. It’s a temporary discomfort to aim your life at the goal.

Question: How have you experienced God’s discipline in your life?

© 2026 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2026 in Encouragement, Power of God, Prayer, Sonship, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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