God Rejoices Over You
Barbi Shires

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20 NIV
Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 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.” “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time, I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time, I will gather you; at that time, I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD.

Devotional: 
There are moments when our hands hang limp—when weariness, shame, or fear have drained every ounce of strength from us. We carry the weight of our failures, the hurt of our enemies' words, the grief of what we've lost. In those moments, we often forget what God sees when He looks at us.

This passage from Zephaniah paints an almost unbelievable picture: that God, the Mighty Warrior, not only fighting for you but delighting in you. Not merely tolerating you, not grudgingly accepting you, but delighting in you. The Hebrew word here suggests the kind of joy that cannot be contained—spinning, leaping, exuberant joy.

And then comes the most magnificent image of all: God rejoicing over you with singing.

Just imagine, the God who spoke galaxies into existence, who commands armies of angels, who holds the oceans in His hands—this God sings over you. While you're rehearsing your shame, He's composing songs of love. While you're cataloging your defeats, He's celebrating your redemption.

The people of Zephaniah's day had every reason to let their hands hang limp. They'd been faithless, conquered, scattered, shamed. Yet God's message to them wasn't "Try harder" or "Earn your way back." It was "I am with you. I have already won. Your punishment is taken away. Your enemy is turned back. Now rejoice."

This is grace that undoes us—not because we've pulled ourselves together, but because God has gathered us up. He promises to rescue the lame, gather the exiles, turn shame into honor. He doesn't wait until we're strong; He comes to us in our weakness and declares, "The Mighty Warrior who saves is with you."

Whatever burden you carry, whatever reproach haunts you, whatever fear whispers that you're beyond help—God is not distant, disappointed, or done with you. He is present, He is powerful, and He is singing over you even now.

Your part? Lift your head, raise your weary hands and let yourself be loved by the One who has already fought for you and won.

Reflection:
Where have you let your hands hang limp? What would it mean to believe today that God delights in you—not in some future, fixed version of you, but in you right now?

Prayer:
Lord, when I am too weary to sing, remind me that You are singing over me. When fear tells me to hide, help me hear Your voice saying, "I am with you." Teach me to rest in Your delight. Amen.