Daily devotional · August 18
He Sings Over You
“Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp. The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.””
Most of us picture God as serious, perhaps disappointed. Zephaniah paints something startling. The Lord is in your midst, a warrior who saves, who delights in you with gladness, quiets you with his love, and rejoices over you with singing. The picture is a parent soothing a frightened child with a lullaby. Notice that it comes after a long stretch of warning and correction, as if the prophet insists that discipline is not the last word. Read Zephaniah 3:17 slowly and let yourself receive it without arguing. Shame tells us that God tolerates us; this passage says he enjoys us. If a heavy day has convinced you otherwise, let the verse correct the record. Today, pause at some point and say quietly, you are delighted in me. Then do something ordinary as a response of gladness, such as humming a hymn or thanking someone.
Also read
“The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to 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
Prayer
Lord, help me believe that you delight in me. Quiet my shame with your love and fill my day with gladness.