I have favorite verses and Zephaniah 3:17 is one of them.

My friend sat in my living room one Friday morning tears streaming down her face. We were discussing God’s love from Zephaniah 3:17. The phrase that states, “He (God) will take great delight in you,” caused her tears. She began questioning, how can God delight in me? I _______________. What delight do you see in me, God?  Why am I responding with such deep emotion? Her questions highlighted her insecurities and her deep desire–for her life to be delighting to God. But it was so hard for her to believe. My friend grew up in the church, she loves God, devotions are a regular habit, serving others is part of her reality. It seems like God should be delighted in her. That morning I had no answers other than, will you trust this is true?

A few weeks ago I sat in an overstuffed chair in a popular Starbucks. Although swirling with morning business, I zoned out the conversations and enjoyed the blue sky beyond the floor to ceiling windows. In the midst of all the noise, quietness enveloped me and God whispered Jeremiah 31:3. “I have loved you with an everlasting love …” I needed to hear it. I wasn’t feeling very worthy of love that morning.

Then the epiphany, “… man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” I Samuel 16:7. God looks at the real us. God looks on the heart he planted in us. He is not looking on the outside, on those days when we missed morning devotions, on those days when anger is more prevalent than loving my neighbor, or impatience is characterizing my relationship with my precious GRANDS. “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:14. He is always looking at my heart. God quieted me with his love.

A different phrase from the same scripture met another friend where she was living. “he will exult over you with loud singing.” This friend leads music in her church always pointing the congregation to God and glorifying him. But this clearly says that God exults over her with loud singing! This led her to questions as well, how can this be? How should I respond? How will this be manifested as I lead others?  How can I communicate to those I am leading that God is singing over them? These words awed her and led her to worship, God is singing over her! Amazing.

Three different situations and three different phrases from one verse, God meeting each of us uniquely. And my epiphany spoke to each different situation–God looks on our hearts; he quiets us with his love. Along with my friends, I can rest in that truth. God loves me.

“See how very much our Father loves us,
for he calls us his children,
and that is what we are!
I John 3:1, NLT

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