He Sings Over You

In the middle of a prophetic book full of warning, Zephaniah offers one of the tenderest images in the Bible. The Lord your God is with you, a mighty warrior who saves. He takes great delight in you, quiets you with his love, and rejoices over you with singing. It is hard to picture God singing, but that is the image: a parent softly humming over a restless child. Many of us imagine God as mostly disappointed or distant, yet this verse insists that his stance toward his people is delight. Before you do anything useful today, receive that. Take a minute in silence and imagine being quieted by the voice of someone who loves you. If it is hard to believe, tell God so honestly. Then carry the thought into your day: I am not merely tolerated, I am delighted in.