by Mary Schaeffer

Read

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 . . .”

As the Christ candle is lit this week, we celebrate Immanuel, God with us. He is not a distant deity, aloof and uninvolved. He is close, active, compassionate, and caring. He is with you.

“. . . a mighty one who will save.”

Who would have ever guessed that this mighty One would arrive on planet earth as a helpless newborn?! Apostle Paul tells us that “being in very nature God” (Phil. 2:6), He was willing to enter our world and become one of us. Why? Because of His great love for us. “Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty” (Ps. 93:4).

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.”

Can you picture Jesus, no longer a baby in a manger, but having lived a perfect life and proven victorious over death? He is seated in the heavens . . . can you picture Him? Rejoicing over you? With gladness? With loud singing? Or, as translated in other versions, taking great delight in you? Sit with that thought for a moment . . . He delights in you.

“He will quiet you by his love.”

He offers us a refuge in His love, and it is there we find rest, respite, and relief from the stress and anxiety of life. In His presence, we find peace.

“He will exult over you with loud singing.”

Some translations say it like this: “He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” This Christmas season, among all the festivities and gifts and décor, celebrate not only Jesus’ birth, but delight in all of who Jesus is. Listen for his shouts of joy as He also delights in you. He is with you. He is mighty to save. He loves you more than you can imagine.

Pray

Thank you, Lord, for Your incredible love and the gift of Your presence. Throughout this Christmas season, please make me aware each day that You are with me and You delight in me. Amen.