Zephaniah 3:17

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Zephaniah 3:17 is my favorite Bible verse:

The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will rejoice over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
I have always read this with a picture of a father considering his child. Maybe it's because I have a natural tendency to view the parent/child relationship God has with us. But, I think it is also reinforced in this passage by the prophet's earlier use of the phrases 'Daughter Zion' and 'Daughter Jerusalem'.
There a so many things in this verse that bring comfort to me, for example "God is in your midst". We have times of despair and loneliness that are unescapable...it is the tragic reality of an imperfect world. And often during these times I have heard, and I have said, "God is with you". But I think the idea that "God is in my midst" is more powerful than "God is with me". It paints for me a picture of Him not just being next to me, but Him surrounding my entire presence all around me, even beyond where I can see. A picture of Him going before me and preparing a path. A picture of Him behind me and guarding me from what I cannot see. A picture of Him beside me and assisting me in my endeavors.
I also love how Zephaniah emphasizes that God rejoices over me. He repeats the phrase for emphasis, and the second time he punctuates the thought with "shouts of joy". God does not just simple delight in me, He screams his cheers from the hilltops with delight. Again, the picture that is painted is so comforting and humbling...God, in Heaven, shouting for joy...over me. There can be no doubt of His love and adoration for me.
I pray that the next time you feel alone and dejected you will remember these words from Zephaniah. God is not just with you, but He is in your midst surrounding you. And He not only loves you, but rejoices over you and is doing so with shouts of joy!

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