The Lord Rejoices Over You!

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

These words in Zephaniah bring to mind a young mother gently rocking her young child to sleep, softly singing to comfort and soothe the soul. We are God’s sons and daughters, and he delights in us.

Someone needs to hear this today; the LORD rejoices over you with singing! Perhaps you were not affirmed, encouraged, or nurtured as a child, by your parents, or maybe anyone, but know this; God loves you more than you can imagine. God wants YOU to experience his fullness of joy. There is immeasurable joy waiting for you when you allow Him to be LORD of your life.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Your justice like the ocean depths.
(Psalm 36:5-6)

There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more or any less. You are God’s created masterpiece. He did his best work as He was creating you in the secret place of your mother’s womb. His artistry in a beautiful sunset, or a mountaintop view, pale when compared to the intricate and deliberate work he did with you. You are profoundly unique and special to Him. And when you walk within your purpose He will move mountains to achieve His plans.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10).

There is a tumultuous tide of negativity rising in the world, slamming us against the rocks, leaving us broken and hopeless. These toxic people spew their hateful contagion, infecting others, and coming against the Word of God. The tide can seem overwhelming, but we must stay strong defending our God and our fellow believers. It is possible we may have carried this toxic residue and refuge for years, polluting our souls with resentment, and restricting our potential for His joy. If you have been carrying toxic residue or refuge in your head since childhood, or those not-so-glorious days of high school, it’s time for a deep detoxification!

Here’s a shocker, what we focus on the most is what we worship, even toxic thoughts. Toxic thoughts infect your mind, lead to bitterness, and bitterness to full-blown hatred! Is there someone living rent-free in your head, with a better view of the world than you? Maybe they hurt your feelings or embarrassed you, and you let it fester into a boil, and now every time you see them you BOIL! They may not know or care that they hurt you. We must do the right thing and forgive, and move on.

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too (Mark 11:25).

So, what’s it going to be, worshiping at the throne of “woe is me,” or taking out the trash and detoxifying with Jesus?

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace (Romans 8:6).

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

We recently attended my husband’s 50th high school reunion. I must be honest; I really didn’t want to attend. And as you might imagine, I have not attended my class reunions. One reason, on the night of our graduation we were told we were the worst class in our high school history. Not just at our high school, but all high schools, for all time. Nice touch, great memory. Even with those school memories, I agreed to attend.

Though steamy with heat and humidity, they shared sweet memories, laughing and remembering with one another. Shockingly the classmates stood and enthusiastically sang their school song, and recited their class motto. Thankfully these were printed for them on the program. It was a comfort knowing several of his classmates, and everyone seemed so nice and full of joy, while reminiscing and reconnecting names to faces.

Do you walk around with a shovel on your skin-scarred shoulder waiting to dig up some past wrong someone has done to you? Or is your shovel used to dig up their past to make you feel better about yourself? Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone treated one another with kindness and respect? The Word of God repeatedly encourages us to place our attention directly on Him.

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The LORD rejoices over you, and he is singing over you now. He can smooth out the rough spots and soothe your soul. And if you are willing to let Him, he will help bury that old shovel you have been carrying around. Maybe then, from the murky soil where the past is buried, the cross can arise embossed with the words … I love you, I forgive you.