LifeLink Devotions for Monday, September 28, 2026
People are starving for affirmation and affection. Our sin nature has corrupted our assessment of our worth. We know the sin that is in us, and we respond with addictive attempts to improve our value. We put other people down to elevate ourselves. We crave compliments and we reject criticism. We transfer blame and refuse to take personal responsibility for our actions because doing so would only validate what we are trying to cover. We are an insecure people who don’t want negativity to make us even more insecure.
Yet sincere commendations have little effect on us. Research has found that in an average marriage it takes five positive interactions to overcome the effects of one negative one. And in the workplace it takes six positives to overcome one negative. Such is the power of our insecurities. We crave commendation yet we choose to believe criticism.
As we continue our study of the phrase “on that day’ in the Bible, there’s an interesting contrast that develops in the books of the prophets. In Hosea, Amos, Obadiah, and the first part of Zephaniah there are six references to a day that is coming when the nation of Israel will be punished severely for their sin against the Lord. An extensive list of criticisms leads to God’s declaration of consequences. The nation is reeling under the weight of their guilt and shame.
But there is hope for them, just as there is for you and me. The Lord makes one statement in Zephaniah chapter three that changes everything.
““On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”
In contrast to the worldly ratio of one negative needing six positives, in God’s grace it takes one only positive statement to remove the power of all the criticisms. When God tells the people they will be saved, He also instructs them on how to respond.
“Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 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 by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
One act of God’s saving power causes a lifetime of freedom from insecurity because even though the world may still criticize us the Lord is rejoicing over us with singing. His love has permanently quieted our need for commendation by unconditionally accepting us into His presence.
The question is, are you currently seeking affirmation and affection from someone other than your Savior?
Today you can rejoice, because the Lord is rejoicing over you.
Pastor John
