“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” — Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)
The Lord Your God is In Your Midst
Hardly a verse in all of Scripture sums up the heart of God for His people better than Zephaniah 3:17. As we walk through this passage today, I pray your life would be transformed by the reality of God’s nearness and the depth of His love for you. Scripture says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.”
“God is in your midst” — take a moment to consider that fact. God is not far off; in fact, He is with you right now. If you are a Christian, His Spirit dwells within you, fellowshipping with your spirit. Psalm 139:7 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” God’s presence is with you right now. He is in your midst.
He is “a mighty one who will save.” As a believer, you have been saved not of your own accord, but by the humble, loving sacrifice of Jesus. If you have confessed your faith in Christ, you are His forever and nothing can take away your salvation. Rejoice in Him today; the Almighty God has come for you, and you now have nothing to fear. Salvation is yours in Him; you are a child of God.
“He will rejoice over you with gladness.” To rejoice over you means to rejoice in who you are. Do you believe that God rejoices in who you are? The world is in the business of convincing you that you’re nothing to rejoice about. Your enemy constantly points out things you do wrong, attempting to convince you that you aren’t lovable — that you are worthless. But the Bible says that God will rejoice over you with gladness. God believes that you are worth the death of His Son, and there is nothing you can do to change His mind. He rejoices over you today.
“He will quiet you with His love.” How often do you allow God to do this? How often do you take time to let Him quiet your life with His love? This is His promise, but like any other gift, it has to be received. His desire is to bring a quiet peace to the stress and worry of your world. You have God’s peace available to you any time you are willing to surrender your heart and be filled with His presence.
“He will exult over you with loud singing.” To exult over you means to show or feel elation or jubilation, as the result of a success. Do you know that God sees you as a success? The story of Scripture is God creating mankind for the purpose of having communion and fellowship with us. He lost that perfect communion when mankind chose sin over Him, and He has been working to restore it ever since. With the death of Jesus, the curse is broken, our sin is paid for, and we are now able to walk in restored relationship with God. God now has what He has longed for all this time — you. He exults over you because there is nothing between you and Him. To God, simply having relationship with you makes you a success already.
As a believer, you can live out of the great victory God has achieved in you. You get to meet with God face to face. God is present with you today, desiring to do all that Zephaniah 3:17 promises.
— Craig Denison, First 15
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