He Will Rejoice Over You
“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
The book of Zephaniah is a reminder to us that God is deeply involved in our lives. Zephaniah was well aware of the sin around him and God’s impending judgment, but he was equally aware of God’s presence. “For the Lord your God is living among you,” he says. Even when God seems a million miles away, you can turn and embrace Him. He never leaves you and never forsakes you. His is always there, close as the whisper of His name.
Zephaniah continues, “He is a mighty savior.” The God who is with you is the same God who parts the seas, whose people pass through on dry ground. He’s the same God who shuts the mouths of lions, who crumbles city walls, who causes iron to float, who is with you in the fire, who sends His only Son to die in your place.
“He will take delight in you with gladness,” says the prophet. God is not put off by your shortcomings and imperfections. He knows your failures, your fears, your insecurities. Still, He delights in you. You are his beloved child. When He looks at you, His heart is made glad.
Zephaniah goes on, “With his love, he will calm all your fears.” Fear can no longer hold you under its spell. Perfect love casts out fear. God’s love sends fear running. It has no place in your life. Allow God’s love to calm all your fears.
Zephaniah concludes with these powerful words concerning the Lord your God: “He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” The Hebrew meaning of the phrase “rejoice over you” literally means “dance, skip, leap, and spin around in joy.” God is so delighted in you that He dances over you with joyful songs!
Even in the midst of a world that seems to be spinning out of control, God’s presence is with you and goes before you. You can rest in Him free of fear because He is a mighty savior. He delights in you and rejoices over you with joy.