The Tender God

Tucked away in one of the lesser known books of the Bible is a little gem that thrills me every time I read it:

"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

The prophet, Zephaniah, delivered these words to the people of Judah in the context of a coming disaster. They had disobeyed and rejected God over and over again. Because they had refused to change, God was about to deliver them over to the Babylonians. His people would face starvation, death by the sword, exile. The punishment was unavoidable, but God intended it for the good of the nation. Through this experience, the Jews would learn to cling to God in a new way. He would become their Savior and would restore them to their land. The people of Judah needed to know that, even in the face of suffering, God was still in control, directing events for the ultimate good of His people and, most importantly, His love for them was as deep and strong as ever.

I need to know the same thing. When life is hard or my heart is hurting, does God really care? When I feel like I must be invisible in this vast universe, I wonder if God really knows me and my circumstances. And the answer is always, "Yes, without a doubt." He not only knows about me, He is with me, here in this moment, protecting and caring for me as my Savior.

When the world, the flesh and the devil form a coalition and launch a frontal attack against my spirit, soul and body, I know that God is mighty to save and is only a request away from coming to my aid.

When an ongoing crisis leaves me drained and despairing, the context of this verse reminds me that God may not deliver me from the situation, but He will surely deliver me through the situation. On the other side, I will be stronger and more mature for having walked with God through trouble and grief.

When it seems that nobody really loves me; when I've disappointed someone, or made a fool of myself, or I just feel ignored, this little verse tells me that Someone loves me very much and in such a beautiful way!

"He will take great delight in you." I suppose my grandson is a rather typical little boy, but to me he is the embodiment of everything beautiful and wonderful about children. I love him with a passion that brings tears to my eyes when I think of him. Everything he does, I treasure. God loves me like that! Astounding!

"He will quiet you with his love." God's shoulder is the One I cry upon. His gentle voice tells me, "Peace. Be still." when I'm fretful or impatient. When I fear tomorrow I turn to the One who holds all tomorrows in His hand.

"He will rejoice over you with singing." I've held and rocked and sung over three babies. Is that the picture here? Or is this the young bridegroom gazing at the love of his life on the morning after their wedding? Words alone fail him so he sings a song that seems to express the moment.

The love that God has for me, and for you, is stronger and more beautiful than any human love. We capture a glimpse of it in this very special verse. It is food for the hungry soul and joy to the hurting heart. Truly, our God is a tender lover.

Learn more about this author, Janice Godlove.
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