The Joy of God Over His People
From The HeartPublish date: 11/10/2013
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
This is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible. A God who is great and MIGHTY – Jehovah Elohim – and yet who is so loving and so kind and so generous with His people! His heart is to save us – not punish or destroy us. The word “save” means that He wants to free us; avenge us; defend us; deliver us; rescue us; help us; preserve us; cause us to be victorious. He will rejoice – be bright; be cheerful; be glad; joy; make mirth – over us with joy and gladness – joyfulness; blithesomeness; glee; mirth; pleasure. He will rest in His love – His love is more than enough; His love is big enough; His love is the reason for it all; His love makes all things right. Then He will joy over us – spin around; be joyful – with singing – with a shout of joy; cry of joy; proclamation; triumph.
Our God is rejoicing over us, singing over us, dancing over us, shouting over us, triumphing over us, and we are wrapped in His love and His delight. It doesn’t get any better than that! Meditate on this verse and let it sink into your spirit – how much the Father loves you and how good He is and how good He is to you!
God is pleased with us when we have faith in Him:
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:5-6 NKJV
He takes pleasure in those who reverently respect and fear Him:
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. Psalms 147:11 NKJV
He delights in the humble:
For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. Psalms 149:4 NKJV
He delights in those who are upright:
I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. 1 Chronicles 29:17 NKJV
They who are willfully contrary in heart are extremely disgusting and shamefully vile in the eyes of the Lord, but such as are blameless and wholehearted in their ways are His delight! Proverbs 11:20 AMP
He delights in the prayer of the upright:
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. Proverbs 15:8 NKJV
He delights in prospering the upright:
And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, of your cattle, of your land, for good; for the Lord will again delight in prospering you, as He took delight in your fathers, 10 If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with all your being. Deuteronomy 30:9-10 AMP
He rejoices over us to do us good:
And they will be My people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may [reverently] fear Me forever for the good of themselves and of their children after them. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will not turn away from following them to do them good, and I will put My [reverential] fear in their hearts, so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly and in truth with My whole heart and with My whole being. Jeremiah 32:38-41 AMP
He delivers those in whom He delights:
He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. 21 The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands. 2 Samuel 22:20-21 AMP
Because He delights in us, we are comforted:
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and the sound of weeping will no more be heard in it, nor the cry of distress. Isaiah 65:19 AMP
The Lord gives an inheritance to those in whom He delights:
If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Numbers 14:8 AMP
He is especially joyful whenever anyone repents and is saved or restored:
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7 NKJV
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10 NKJV
And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. Luke 15:23-24 NKJV
He rejoices over us like a bridegroom rejoices over his bride:
For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5 NKJV