"The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will 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)
Our worship, prayers, declarations, nothing can compare, in any way or fashion, with what the Living Triune God says to and about us throughout Scripture. Just read our text several times; meditate upon it, and we can maybe begin to see just how much Father, Son Jesus, Holy Spirit lavishes love and grace upon us.
The Blessed Trinity tells us many times throughout the, "God-Breathed," Word, to, "rejoice, praise, glory, exult." Now here's a thought: Maybe this is as much an invitation as a command. The Blessed Trinity says more wonderful things to and about us than you and I can ever say about and to Him. No matter our worship, prayers, declarations, they pale into near insignificance when compared to what our, "Good Shepherd," expresses to us and does for us.
The Hebrew for, "rejoice," here gives the idea of, "extreme delight." Ern Baxter once shared an observation of the Matthew 11 passage, where Jesus is rejoicing, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things...from the wise and intelligent." He said that the Greek context actually implies that Jesus clapped His hands and jumped up and down. "Jesus, actually did that?" Why not? If you take our text seriously, you will see the same "attitude" there. Regardless, the Bible is just packed full of passages which affirm this glorious truth. "What Wondrous Love Is This, O my soul, O, my soul,.." that the very, "Mighty One," Himself rejoices, "....over you with gladness,..quiet[s] you with His love,.." and rejoices, "....over you with singing."!!! How dare anyone ever entertain the idea that our fellowship in the Godhead is just "a one way street."
When you worship, pray, intercede, declare, just always remember that no matter what you and I can say or express, pales in the great flight of what Jesus Christ says and expresses to us, and, has done and is continually doing for us.
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to more and more appreciate that You, "....rejoice over [me].., quiet [me]..," and, "rejoice over [me] with singing." As the song writer said, "I scarce can take it in." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
