The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17
One of my favorite Bible verses is Zephaniah 3:17. Depending which Bible translation you use it can be powerful and energizing such as found in the New Revised Standard which reads: “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing”
Or the same verse can be tender and comforting such as found in the New Living Translation which reads: “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
There seems to be a couple of competing ideas in the verse – God calming and quieting us or God singing and shouting over us.
The English Standard Version seems to cut it down the middle, “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.”
I actually don’t find any conflict in any of these translations at all. This passage of scripture describes God’s love as a perfect parent.
When I think of my best moments as a parent, I find they run the gamut. I almost lost my voice cheering for Hannah in her basketball games and Brooks running cross country and track. When either of my children were sick I would hold them and sing quietly to them to comfort them. Or there have been the times that I have been in the car singing “Hakuna Matata” or “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” Throughout their lives I have sung joyfully, shouted encouragement, and quietly soothed them to sleep with a lullaby.
If I, as an imperfect human being, can display that kind of singing and shouting over my children, how much more does a perfect, loving God sing over us? Why is it difficult to imagine God cheering us on or singing quietly over us? Take comfort in the fact that God is in your corner – singing, shouting, comforting, and rejoicing!
Rev. Wendy Lambert, Senior Executive Pastor
