Zepheniah 3:17

The lord, Mighty warrior. This warrior will do anything for his prize. He will fight anything for his prize. Doesn't matter how big, it doesn't matter how great they are, or how powerful. He rule the world and have the most powerful army. It does not matter. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39. What What is on this earth or in the spiritual realm, no created thing can stand against the lord alright from his prize. What is His prize? "He will rejoice over you..." "will be able to separate us..." me. His children. "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." 1 John 3:1. It does not matter where I am , it doesn't matter who "has" me the lord will go and fight for me. But, once he has me he doesn't stop. He keeps fighting. "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."
Exodus 14:14 ESV. For he is a jealous God and he wants what is his. Nothing can touch his child. Only that which the child so carelessly goes after. But, even then the lord is faithful to bring him back. "if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself."
2 Timothy 2:13 ESV.  There is absolutely nothing that the lord will not fight in order to get what is his and when he gets what is his, he then "rejoices over you with gladness; he quiet you by his love; he will adult over you with loud sining." OH WHAT A LOVING GOD!!! "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. Psalms 139:7‭-‬12 ESV" he brings me in his arms and then sings over them Loudly. That is crazy.

Application
I will memorize this verse to be in awe of everytime I think of it.

Romans 5:1-11

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:1‭-‬11 ESV

This is hope for the sinner and the trangressor, the person from Luke 13:18 that says “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'” for the man who realize he true state of his flesh. O have found myself in the situation of the tax collector who won't even go near the temple but, stands afar off and breast his chest and says ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner’ who knows that the only way he will be justified is if God will forgive him. I have no other hope, if the lord will not forgive me than I I have no hope. But, the lord quickly shows his love and mercy and says that “while we still sinning that the lord died for us” and now we have peace with God because “God loves us so much that he sent his only begotten son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. This section of scripture has so much to it and has so much truth and hope in it and hard not to look up to the lord and praise his name. I love what John piper said “..that God in eternity looked upon me foreseeing my falleness and my pride and my sin and said, I want that man in family. I would do anything to get him in my family. I will pay for him to be in my family. With my sins life. That is love folks, that is mega off the charts love.” this is so beautiful and so humbling. That God would see me and now what I would do and how I would treat him and throw that all to the side and say “I want him, I want Andrew.” that is so beautiful. The lord knew all that I would do and say, and he knew how I would grieve him day after day and stumble and stumble. But, he chose me and still died for me. I can't explain why, I cant even day I deserve it because I dont. But all I know is that God is Good, and all the time God is Good. Psalm 106:1 KJV — Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

APPLICATION

I will study this chapter everyday for a week with the intent of going deeper with the lord.

Psalms 63:1

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1 NIV

Can I honestly say that I seek the lord with my whole being? It's a good check to give myself everyday. The lord is beautiful and eternal, the bible talks about how
heaven can't hold him. Other places it talks about how unsearchable his wisdom and judgment. The lord is such a powerful, almighty god. Creator of the biggest star and the smallest atom. But, with all of that considered what is crazy to me is his love in Ephesians 3:18-19 KJV it says; May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. God love is deeper than any ocean, more vast then space. What he did for me is crazy to think about how He came down and died for me. Giving up his God head to die for me so, he can down all of eternity with me. Why? It beautiful, I want to know the lord more and more. I love the lord and to know him more is my prayer.

Application: I will memorize this verse and study and think about it.

Proverb 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17

I don't know a lot about metal or blacksmithing but, I do know for metal to take form it need extreme heat and pressure. It has to pressed, stretched and formed. Once it has taken shape and it actuallyl ooks like a sword, but it has to be sharpened, where it takes another piece of iron to do so. It's apicture of discipleship, what it looks like to be made into a useful sword and not a piece of steel. Discipleship takes pressure, heat, and molding. It such a hard thing but it's a beautiful thing when it happens. But, something we have remember is that the iron us in the blacksmith hand the entire time. He is in complete control. He is the one that hammers it and puts it in the fire. He is the one that puts it in the water and let's it cool. He is the one who takes the other piece of iron and sharpens, He is in complete control of everything. He is the one controling the discipleship, its his words coming through. It is a sprit lead thing where it should be on person sharing what the lord has said. He is the center of what true discipleship is supposed to be. He is the one that speaks through people to the other so tht way the other person can grow, thats why in proverbs in hebrews it talks about how we shouldnt despise correction because it how we know the lord loves. He has corrected me, and It hard when the lord has done this in my life, especially when he has other people do this in my life to sharpen me and make me useful Honestly, it's a huge pride problem but, the lord he been humbling me in this area. I know that the teammates he puts in my life and the leader as well are there because God told them to and there are there to make me a useful tool in the master hands but, It's not an easy thing but it's a necessary thing. My prayer is that it will be something that happens for the rest of my life, if I like it or not. After all were are called to make disciples but, how can I make disciples if I first wasn't discipled?

Application:

I will write this down a piece of paper and put it on my wall that way I can remember this IBS and thank God for him being in control and discipline me.