Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: October 16

“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

This verse tumbled of its own nature into our collection of singing “green stones.” Read it again. There it is, in God’s written down Word, and yet it is almost too glorious to believe!

Those of us who have begun to open ourselves to see what God is about in us, know that “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty …” We ho have reached for Him in time of trouble or temptation or trial have found Him always to be “in the midst.” Right there to help and to save and to protect. But to think of God rejoicing over us! This is almost impossible to believe.

We bring “great joy” to the heart of God when we let Him save us. He doesn’t require payment for dying for us. He just rejoices that we take the gift of His life. “He will rejoice over thee with great joy, He will joy over thee with singing,” if you let Him bring you out of your “wilderness time” victoriously. Perhaps you won’t be singing immediately. Healing often takes time. But “the Lord thy God in the midst of thee” will rejoice. If you don’t feel a song at once, go on in faith because of what you know His heart is really like. Let God do the singing. He can see the whole picture. Once we let Him lift us out of rebellion, we may still feel bruised and songless, but that’s all right. God knows what He has done for us. “He will rejoice over thee with joy.” He knows what His heart is like toward you. “He will rest in his love.” Even when we don’t feel we are resting in His love, He will rest in it for us!

“I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord … He will joy over thee with singing.”