We are using scripture to help us “know” and understand the Father heart of GOD. When we more fully know who God is, what he is like, then we are safe to become who He created us to be.
Here is a quote from Slyvia Gunter...” In discovering who God is, you uncover and awaken your spirit to who you are in him.”
So far we have discussed “A” Abba, “B” Bless, “C” Carry, Chose, “D” Discipline. This week we will focus mainly on “E” Exalt.
A
My Father is my Abba, Papa-God. I am His beloved child. (Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:4-7, John 1:12, Jam. 1:18)
B
My Father blesses me with every heavenly gift. (Eph. 1:3)
C
My Father gathers me in His arms and carries me all my life. (Isa. 40:11, 46:3-4; Deu. 1:31).
My Father chose me from the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:4-6)
D
My Father disciplines me with love and justice. (Heb. 12:6-11, Deu. 32:4, John 5:30)
This week we are going to discuss “E” My Father exults over me with joy. (Zeph. 3:17)
Also, His love is eternal and everlasting.
Zephaniah 3:17 AMP
The LORD your GOD is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior (Who saves)! He will rejoice over YOU with JOY; He will rest (in silent satisfaction) and in His love He will be silent and make no mention (of past sins, or even recall them); He WILL exult over you with singing.
KJV 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.
NIV The LORD your GOD is with you, he is mighty save. He will take GREAT DELIGHT in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.
New American Standard Bible
The LORD your GOD is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, he will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
Using various translations of Zep 3:17 we see that sometimes the actual word “exalt” is used and other times “joy over thee” or “rejoice over thee with joy”.
Let’s look at that verse in detail. NKJ Zep 3:17
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.
1. The Lord, thy God.....Clarks’ commentary explains this as: The Lord thy God - Yehovah Elohiym, "The self-existent and eternal Being, who is in covenant with you;" the character of God in reference to the Jews when standing in the nearest relation to them..”
He is LORD and he is OUR God. We have chosen for Him to be in that position, but we were only able TO choose Him because He first chose us.
(2 Thessalonians 2:13, 13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:)
AND (1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.)
2. In the midst of thee... He is not a God far away. He is personal. He is God WITH us.
(Acts 17:27
So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us.) (Matthew 1:23
Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel--which, when translated, means, God with us.)
3. Is mighty......Is mighty - El Gibbor, is the prevailing One, the all-conquering Hero. The character which is given to Christ, Isaiah 9:6 : "His name shall be called El Gibbor, the prevailing Almighty God."(NKJ 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.)
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.) Deliver thee from all the power from all the guilt, and from all the pollution of thy sins; and when thus saved "he will rejoice over thee with joy," with peculiar gladness. "He will rest in his love," - he will renew his love. He will show the same love to you that he did of old to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
5. He will rejoice over thee with singing..
Using this verse, in any translation consider personalizing it..as a prayer.
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.”
Example: Lord God I am so grateful that you are not a god far distant but you are in my midst. Wherever I go there you are. I thank you that you are mighty to save me, not just for salvation but from my own self-made messes. Thank you for quieting me with your love and OH Abba, to begin to understand that YOU rejoice over ME with singing, it is so wonderful.
****One meaning of the word “singing” used in Zephaniah was “proclamation”. God proclaims awesome things over our lives when He sings. ****
Abba, our Abba takes great delight in us...he quiets us with His love...He WILL rejoice over us with singing.
Can you imagine? God, the Creator of the Universe, rejoicing over us with singing? Quieting our hearts with His love song for us? Have you ever sung or seen someone sing to a fussy, or frightened baby?
Do you know the verse…Psalms..Psalm 131:2 AMP
Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting].
NKJV Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
What a picture...and Father rejoices over each of us with singing... Because we are perfect? LOL I doubt that.
Just because he loves us.
Even when we are messy and dirty and stinky... our Father loves us and His desire is to sing over us and calm our hearts.
PRAYER From the internet...
Father, I pray that You would give me ears to hear Your love songs over me. I pray that I would be able to silence the busyness of my life so I could hear Your soothing lullabies and Your bellowing melodies. Thank You for being with me and for taking such great delight in my life that You rejoice over me with singing. In the name of Your beloved Son Jesus I pray, AMEN.
http://www.fathersloveletter.com/Devoti ... ional.html
Two other "E" words, attributes of God are Eternal and Everlasting.
God is eternal...His song is eternal. When we feel we are falling and nothing is right...He is there. When all is well, in our lives...He is there. He is eternal God. Everlasting God. Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy!
Another passage about God's love being everlasting and eternal is Romans 8:31-39. Let's just look at and listen to that passage, shall we?
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”[a]
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Plus many other verses which speak of how God rejoices over us. Here are a few:
Deu 30:9 And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:
Psalm 147:11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
Psalm 149:4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Isa 62:4-5 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall thy sons marry thee: and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, [so] shall thy God rejoice over thee.
John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.
Will he discipline us? Of course, as we learned last week. But he will do it to direct us and bring us back to a place where he can bless us and sing over us.
Will you spend some time this week, simply resting as Father God rejoices over YOU with singing?
What is your “happy place with God?” I love creation. I especially love when the breeze touches my face. When I feel the breeze or see a sunset, its almost like I can hear God singing over me.
Song Story that always touches my heart. It is called: Daddy’s Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcbtPEQUUsE
This song is a story about a Father who sings over his child a song of love. The child loved his Father and always heard the song and sang it back to him. The love of Father was his world. Then one day, the “world” enticed the child to neglect time listening to his Father’s song. He went into the “world” for affirmation and all he need. Father was still there though and in the end the boy begins to sing back to Father God and .... well you can listen to it. This is a powerful song, its long, so save it. And let GOD minister to your heart as you listen.
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