By Charleen Burghardt
Do you jot down notes to help you remember? I write reminders on little yellow sticky notes all over the house because I forget important things. If yellow sticky notes are unavailable, I find a scrap of paper to write on. Believe it or not, scribbling something on paper helps me organize; there is no need to hold the thought in my brain. Those reminders are my “to-dos.”
Another reminder
But instead of a “to do” reminder, another specific reminder is taped on my bathroom mirror, one of God’s love for me. In large letters, Zephaniah 3:17 adorns my mirror. I see this reassuring verse daily.
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.
This rich verse hides in the Old Testament’s little-known book of Zephaniah. Let’s unpack it to see how we can apply it.
God is close
“For the Lord, your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior.”
The God who created the universe is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful-absolutely beyond all we can comprehend, awesome and majestic. In theology, the term for God being sovereign and all-powerful is transcendent; God is outside our humanity’s grasp and is a mighty savior.
On the one hand, God is Almighty, yet on the other hand, God is personal, intimately acquainted with each of us, knowing our thoughts, feelings, desires, and dreams. The theological term for God being present, perceivable, and close is immanent. God is not hidden but with us, Emanual!
The Lord is living among us.
Not only is God close, but he delights in us. “He will delight in you with gladness.”
Delight is to take pleasure in or find joy in. Wow, God takes pleasure in us. sometimes, this truth is hard to believe, mainly because of negative self-talk that can enter our minds.
However, no matter how unworthy we perceive ourselves to be, God wants a relationship with us and enjoys us like we enjoy those we love. Parents delight in their new babies, grandparents delight in their grandchildren, and the Lord delights in us. What a concept! God relishes hearing about our day and our concerns. Our prayers, requests, and praises ring in God’s ears.
God delights in us
The next part of the verse is comforting. “With his love, he will calm all your fears.” Because God is near, he can quiet our fears. Another verse, 1 John 4:18, says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear….” God is perfect love, and the love of God takes away fear. Reassurance of God’s love quells our worries and anxieties.
The image of God calming our fears is much like how Jesus calmed the storm in the Sea of Galilee. Peace and rest come from God’s love.
Perfect love calms our fears.
The last phrase of the verse, “He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Do you ever sing when you are joyful? I fill the house with melody when I am happy. Do you hum a tune while you work? Do you belt out familiar tunes when you overflow with emotions? Singing is a way to express joy. God Almighty rejoices over us with songs.
God finds joy in us
The Lord sings over us.
Take the truth of God’s delight in you into your heart. Hold it close; let it seep into our pores. We can live each day with confidence. We are loved and the object of God’s delight, knowing God is singing over us.
Let this seep into your pores.
“…I have loved you with a love that lasts forever.
And so, with unfailing love,
I have drawn you to myself” Jeremiah 31:3
Remember, God delights in you.
In large letters, Zephaniah 3:17 adorns my mirror.
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.
Prayer:
Dear Loving and Mighty God,
You love us more than we can understand in our limited minds. You find pleasure in us and want to be with us, wanting an ongoing relationship with us. Let your love penetrate the inner recesses of our hearts so we can start each day confidently, knowing we are the object of your joy and delight. Give us joy and wonder.
Amen
Grace Offers Hope,
Charleen
Thank you for reading this post. I hope and pray that you are encouraged about God’s love for you.
One of my favorite verses. Thank you for sharing your insights!
Thank you! I might need this on my mirror.
blessings
Yes, I think I need this on my mirror. Very encouraging blog. Thank you!
Thanks sharing the verse. It is one of my very favorites. I love to think of God singing over me.
I also love Psalms 139:17. God says that his thoughts about us can’t be numbered and they outnumber all the grains of sand. WOW!
That amazes me.
Thanks for your thoughtful blogs.