4-18-07 Zephaniah 3:17

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIVUS)
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 (NLT)
For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NRSV)
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing

We all need someone to love us. Perhaps you would like to have someone whose eyes light up when you enter the room. Are you looking for someone who sees you as a hero and is proud to be with you? Do you want someone who can give you unconditional love, who overlooks your weaknesses, but majors on your strengths? Finding such a person can be difficult at best and some people never find someone to fit this description.

There is Someone who does loves you in this way, but you have to change your focus. Jehovah the Lord and Most High God has focused His attention on you and is in the middle of everything you do. He has drawn near to you to save and deliver you with His strength and might. Through Him you have liberty and victory.

You are so special to Almighty God. He exults and rejoices over you. You give Him great pleasure, so that His heart is filled with joy, mirth, and gladness as He gazes upon you. And He is not afraid to express His deep feelings for you. He has ploughed a place in His heart where your image is engraved.

Although His heart is filled with joy at the very sight of you, sometimes His love over you is quiet. To you it may seem as if God is silent and not listening, but He has not turned a deaf ear to you. At other times, you may hear His love expressed in a ringing cry, a song of exaltation. No matter how He shows it, God's love towards you is everlasting and eternal.