Reassured And Renewed

A Reflection on the First Reading for December 16th, 2018:
Third Sunday of Advent

Zephaniah 3:14-18 

A Song of Joy

14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
     shout, O Israel!
     Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
     O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
     he has cast out your enemies.
     The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
     you shall fear evil no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
     “Do not fear, O Zion;
      let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
     a warrior who gives victory;
     he will rejoice over you with gladness,
     he will renew you in his love;
     he will exult over you with loud singing
18 as on a day of festival.
     “I will remove disaster from you,
     so that you will not bear reproach for it.

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At the beginning of the week, as I was planning out my list of to-dos, I was dreading having to put the writing of a reflection on my list. Currently, I am in the middle of final exams, and having to take a break from my studying schedule caused a great deal of anxiety for me. This has been a testy week for me — and not just because of the exams. My mental state has been challenged. Lately, I have been equating my worth with my grades more than I should. I then begin to define myself by how well I perform on my exams. I tend to wrongfully associate my identity with my success in school. It gets so bad that sometimes I start to forget about my normal daily activities like eating meals, drinking enough water, and especially, praying.

To my great surprise, in the midst of the time when I am the most judgemental of myself, I realized that this reflection was just what I needed. I feel that this passage was a way for God to encourage me.

Your worth is not dependent on the hard tasks in your work, school, or personal life, or on how “successful” you perceive yourself to be with them. You are of the utmost worth to the Lord who has cast away the judgements and deeply wants to renew you in His love.

"You are of the utmost worth to the Lord who has cast away the judgements
​and deeply wants to renew you in His love."

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It is truly a blessing when God speaks to us through scripture. I now have a greater sense of reassurance that I am not alone in this time of difficulty and that He wants to help me through it. No matter the outcome of my exams, my identity will remain as a beloved daughter of God. Although the big and difficult things in life may distract you from the most important thing, God always wants to help you to overcome your trials.

Megan Noye

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