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. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)
For a nanosecond, Nelly Korda’s two-foot putt on the 72nd hole of the 2026 US Women’s Open hung on the edge before “lipping in” to the cup, securing her historic win. In that moment, Korda became the youngest American golfer to win four LPGA majors since Mickey Wright in 1960.
She attributes her remarkable success this season to Post-it notes. “I travel with Post-it notes, and I stick them on the mirror when I get ready, and I write myself a positive note, and that’s my thought for the week,” Korda said.
One enemy of an elite athlete is a negative self-critic. A negative self-critic ignites the fire of shame. Shame, while an indicator that hurt or pain is near, constricts our soul and spirit.
This often pushes an athlete to suppress negative emotions at all costs. Nelly Korda is doing something different. She is reminding herself that she has done the work, that she is ready, and that it is okay to have a positive mindset while feeling nervous or stressed at the same time.
The enemy of this world knows how to creep into our thoughts and mindsets, too. Satan attacks by reminding us of our failures. He feeds the inner critic by stirring our rumination over our mistakes at 2 a.m.
Broken relationships feel like too much, making us question who we are and suggesting that we aren’t enough. These accusations demand that we must earn our place, prove our worth, or perform for love, which is a harsh spiral of oppression.
But the Lord speaks to his people (and to us) through the prophet Zephaniah.
In the latter part of a book dripping with the Lord’s judgment, God declares that there is hope for his people to “seek refuge in the name of the LORD” (Zephaniah 3:12). Even though the people deserve it, God replaces his judgment with rejoicing and gladness, and he pauses to sing (loudly) over them.
God’s song is not a reluctant acknowledgment of our existence—but a full, joyful, uninhibited song over you and over me.
God is both a Mighty Warrior and a tender singer. He is powerful enough to save us and personal enough to delight in each of us. A beautiful picture of the fullness of who God is—and the Post-it note for how he loves us.
The word gladness means to rejoice with great joy—the kind that spills over into expression.
Let us write a Post-it note and read it daily: “God is in my midst. God has saved me. God rejoices over me with gladness and with loud singing.”
Amen!
Prayer: Lord, quiet every voice that contradicts Yours. Help me receive Your delight today — not as something I’ve earned, but as the gift it is. Amen.