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
Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites marveled at the might of God. Indeed, there is an overwhelming sense of awe of God’s might that pervades the whole Bible. Beginning in Genesis where God spoke the world into existence to Revelation where the Almighty establishes a new heaven and a new earth, God’s might is in full display for every generation to behold.
I behold God’s might every day I can see the rising sun and to partake in the bounty He provides. We should not forget we are sustained by the Lord’s might. Otherwise, we would have been consumed by the vicissitudes of life and by the evil one. By His might, the Lord protects, provides, heals, redeems, and restores. No weapon formed against the righteous can prosper because we are covered by the shadow of the Almighty.
God is not only mighty, He is Almighty. This indicates there is no gauge to measure his omnipotence. There is no force, powers, or authority to neutralize his power. He is unconquerable and undefeatable. The Almighty does not need anything or anyone. He has no restrictions or limitations.
In today’s text, Zephaniah identifies four things the Almighty does for His people. First, He is mighty to save. This is not only soul-salvation, it is also salvation from sickness, from enemy attack, and existential crises. Only a mighty God can guarantee such salvation. Second, the Almighty God rejoices over His people. The NIV says, “He will take great delight in you; in His love, he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.” The Almighty secures us in His secret place and rejoices in seeing creation functioning according to His Sovereign will. We bring joy to the Almighty when we walk in His will and do the good works He prepared for us to do.
Third, God quiets us by His love. That means, even in His wrath He will show mercy. Indeed, the Almighty is merciful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness. He does not withhold our transgressions against us forever. Fourth, the Almighty exults over us with loud singing. This phrase gives the imagery of God running around heaven serenading the Heavenly hosts with His melodious voice in His pleasure over His people. “We often underestimate the joy God has in His people, and too often think God is annoyed or irritated with us.”
God knows who we are. He does not get irritated with our humanity. This is why He is mighty to save. God has made provision for our restoration. Thus, He rejoices over our transformation. Since He already knows what the end is going to be, He is exuberant about our present and exults over us with loud singing when as He contemplates our future.
Zephaniah teaches us that God comes in our midst with the fullness of power. Whenever we invite God in our affairs, we benefit from His might. The Lord is forever robbed in power. He cannot remove His omnipotence. Nature testifies of His greatness.
This mighty God exults over us with loud singing despite our disappointments, our failures, and our disobedience. Because of His might, we are assured that all things will work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. So then, do your best to enjoy the experience of knowing, loving, and serving this mighty God. Do not allow the frustrations of life to rob you of the joy of having a relationship of loving union with Almighty God.
Questions for Personal Reflection
What does it mean to you to have the Almighty exult over you with loud singing?
How is God’s almightiness helping you to persevere in your Christian journey with hope?
Prayer- Almighty God, thank you for rejoicing over me with gladness. In times of trials and hardships, help me not to forget that you exult over me with loud singing.