God delights in you.
“The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)
Fog hung thick in the sky. It had crept in overnight and was thick enough to last through the morning sun and into the afternoon. The valley where I lived felt closed off and isolated. The air was thick, heavy, and close. To escape the oppressive darkness, I drove 45 minutes away to the nearest city to run errands. Clouds covered the city too, but they were much higher and did not feel nearly as suffocating. As I drove home, the clouds seemed to creep in until I was surrounded once again. If ever there was weather to match my emotions, this day perfectly captured what my mind and heart felt like. I could feel my breath catching and tears starting to form. I prayed for sunlight, for relief from the oppressive burden weighing on me, for the anxiety to just go away.
The fog clung even closer. The highway was shrouded, and I slowed down as visibility lessened. I turned off onto the dirt road leading to my house and glimpsed a break in the clouds just ahead of me. I sped up slightly, rushing to get home and out of the fog and gloom. I pulled up to my house and marveled.
A perfect beam of sunlight had broken through the heavy fog and shone over my house. It lasted just long enough for me to haul the supplies from my monthly shopping trip into the house. The fog swallowed up the brief break in the clouds, and the world was once again fully encased in fog. In the midst of my panic and gloom, that brief patch of sunlight just over my house was a beautiful God-gift reminding me God cares for me.
This was one of my low moments. Some seasons those moments are stronger and more frequent than others, but those low moments are where I best learn that God hears me and cares for me and loves me, regardless of how many low moments I may experience.
The kingdom of Judah experienced plenty of its own low moments over the course of its history. Some of those were due to their own disobedience and rebellion while others were no doubt spurred on by the fact we live in a fallen, sinful world where bad things happen. Regardless of the cause, then or now, low moments exist for us all at one time or another. Judah had made some rather poor choices, and God warned them of their coming punishment. However, God did not leave them hanging, just as He does not leave us to wallow in our sin now. He is just and holy, but He is also compassionate and merciful.
This is where Zephaniah chapter 3 comes into play. Our God is into restoring people when they turn to Him, yielding their will to His, repenting of sin, and receiving His mercy. Zephaniah writes, ““The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (3:17). This whole verse is all about God rejoicing over those who love Him and return to Him, and I just can’t get enough of the beauty of this verse.
The LORD your God in your midst,
The I AM, the Eternal One, God Himself is with us. He is in our midst, in the very middle of all we do and all we experience. For those who have chosen God and have sought and received His forgiveness, He has promised to dwell with us forever. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit who now dwells within our very souls, always.
The Mighty One, will save;
The Mighty One is strong, brave, and powerful. He is a warrior, a champion. I love the idea that He is my champion; He will fight for me. He will save me. There is no doubt here. Those times when I am at my lowest and feel my unworthiest; this is a promise to hold tight to.
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
This is where God just starts having fun with the language. What do you think of when you think of rejoicing? For God, it’s a display of joy that involves leaping and calling out with a joyful voice. As I put it all together, I realized God is jumping and shouting for joy over you and me.
He will quiet you with His love,
The word “quiet” actually had more going on than I realized at first glance. It’s the idea of being still, holding your peace, even pardoning your sin. I puzzled over this a bit, but I think it may be the idea that God has forgiven our sin and will no longer act on it, out of His great love for us. We no longer need to fear His wrath or separation from Him, because He loved us so much, He sent His own Son to die for us, granting us forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16). We don’t need to be anxious about anything because God loves us.
He will rejoice over you with singing.
This last clause brings up rejoicing again, emphasizing God leaping and dancing with joy over you. He sings over you with joy and gladness. You do not cause Him sorrow. Your low moments do not bring Him low.
Despite all our highs and lows and in-between moments, God loves us. He is the Mighty One who will save us. He delights in us, calms our fears, and rejoices over us. Can you even imagine? The God of the universe is personally delighted with you. Let’s just sit with that truth for a while and let it sink deep into our bones. The next time a low moment comes around, ponder this truth instead.
“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.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)
