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God is in your midst...

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Zephaniah 3:17   (ESV) 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.

Isn't that just a wonderful verse?! How could it get any better than God is in your midst?  I looked for a picture for that but couldn't find anything that came close to illustrating "God in your midst".  I could find pictures of nature.  Sure God is there.  I could find pictures of churches.  We know God is there (or wants to be invited to be there).  I found photos of families and groups of people.  God is there too but I couldn't find anything that adequately illustrates God is in your midst.  It is just too much to fathom, too big to understand, too awesome to fully appreciate.  But I wanted something so I used a photo taken by a friend.

Then the passage goes on: a mighty one who will save.  God is mighty AND He will save.  Notice, He will save, not He might save or He could save but He will save.  How comforting.

But that isn't all.  he will rejoice over you with gladness.  God will rejoice over me with gladness.  Astounding.  That means God is not (always) displeased with me, even though He has every right to be; I am such a sinner, so disobedient, one of so little faith.  But God rejoices over me with gladness.

There's more: he will quiet you by his love; God my Father, will quiet me using His love to do so.  That just sounds peaceful and calming just to hear it.  When I am troubled, His love with quiet me. Think of a baby crying and a parent or grandparent comforting and quieting the baby.  What a picture.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, God.

Even more!! - he will exult over you with loud singing.  I'm not entirely sure what that means so I looked it up. at dictionary.com, the definition is: verb (used without object)

1. to show or feel a lively or triumphant joy; rejoice exceedingly; be highly elated or jubilant: They exulted over their victory.
2. Obsolete. to leap, esp. for joy. 
So think of that.  God leaping for joy (Yes, I know that is the obsolete meaning but the Bible is old so that could be the meaning when it was written!) Ok, think of God being exceedingly joyous over me with singing. God is lively with joy, jubilation and elation over me.  I can't imagine it but the Bible says so.

Now think of that verse of how God thinks of you.  God is in YOUR midst.  God will save you.  God rejoices over you.  God will quiet you by His love.  God will jubilantly rejoice over you with singing. 
Thank You, God. I am speechless.  Amen
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  1. Covnitkepr1March 19, 2010 at 1:28 PM

    It's still hard for me to comprehind that God would choose to live IN us. To think we have His Holy Spirit living inside us a a gift to guide and direct us.

    God amoung us? You betcha

    ReplyDelete

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