January 20, 2026

This is a verse I’ve read again and again, and sent to my small group. But I saw it again today and something new jumped out at me. Here’s the verse, with the words in BOLD that I’m talking about this time:

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing . ~Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

The NLT translation says,“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

The sections in BOLD sound like two totally different things. No longer being rebuked or calming fears. Now, I’ve seen a footnote in a couple of my Bible translations that says, “He will renew you with his love.”  That footnote seems to tie this together. And it’s simple. We are renewed, every day, though our faith in God. He is the mighty warrior, who rejoices over us, calms our fears, forgives us, and renews us with his love.

What an encouragement to cling to right now. Let’s encourage one another.