Ever lift thy face upon me as I work and wait for thee;
resting ‘neath thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth’s dark shadows flee.
“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zeph. 3:17)
Amid God’s judgment on the nation, Zephaniah describes God’s invitation for His children. He invites them to take part with Him in a holy union. The joy of God—and the joy of man—an intimate fellowship—a divine dance. Man rejoices because God rejoices over him. Man’s soul is quiet because God’s love quiets his soul. Man rejoices with singing because God rejoices over him with singing. God resides with those who rest in Him. He shows Himself mighty to them. His love has been extending toward mankind ever since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden with that one bite. God’s love for wayward man prevails in Scripture, in history, and in all of creation.
To know the true God of Israel is to know love. We wait for the Day of the Lord. The day when we can rejoice with Him in one accord. We rejoice and God is glad. The notes of our praise are the echoes of His. We are glad because He is glad: He is glad because we are glad. We sing for joy and He rejoices over us with singing. God is glad when we allow Him to love us. He delights in us when we reflect His love back to Him. He takes pleasure in imparting Himself to us. We love because He first loved us. Our heart delights in a joy that springs forth from the ever-flowing fountain of God’s love, ever reaching, ever yearning, ever giving. We can satisfy the longing of our thirsty soul only with His love. Once we taste His love, our soul desires to love as He has loved us. Faith and hope are essential to our life on earth, but love is the greatest of all, for God is love and His love abides forever.
Rejoicing and love are at the heart of the gospel. The secret to everlasting joy lies in the assurance that “the Lord your God is in your midst.” Are you weak, battle-torn? Remember, life on earth is short; life in heaven is long. The day is coming when you will see, you will know, and you will understand. Today, won’t you take God’s hand and join Him in this holy union, the divine dance? Sing with joy because He rejoices over you with singing. Let your prayer this day be, “Ever lift thy face upon me as I work and wait for thee; resting ‘neath thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth’s dark shadows flee”.