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.
Zephania 3; 17
Do we have such an image of God? A God that rejoices and praises? Who rejoices with a loud voice? No, we usually think, God is a very quiet and cool. He sits on the throne and shows little emotion. The angels around Him must sing and cry Hallelujah, but please, everything without great emotion and feeling. Everything a little still and well organised. And in the church should it also be so, cool, still but well organised. Barely any exuberance that people cannot control. No, better to be like the army, everything lined up, tin the same step, and for everyone: No emotion, The cool understanding reaching the perfection.
Gods word says clearly. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind “ Luke 10;27
Jesus says it here very clearly and in addition to loving God first, we should do this with our whole heart, mind and all our strength. God likes it when we are joyful over Him and praise Him. He loves it when we rejoice, dance and sing. He likes it who our hearts overflow in joy. Because He is our reason for joy. He has saved us, rescued us and makes us alive.
He does not like it when we hide ourselves behind a cold facade or when we only function rationally. No, he gives us the emotion, not only for football but also for faith.
Just as we are joyful about Him, so He wants to rejoice over us, wash us clean and heal us through Jesus that we can light-footedly run, sing and dance. Hallelujah, he has saved us!!! And because God is in the middle and rejoices over His children, for whom He has paid such a great price.
Thank you Jesus that you are different to how I imagine. You are not a purely rational,not an ice cold judge, not a tyrant. You are the Lord who has loved me from your heart. You have mercy on me. You reign in me, heal me and fill me with you spirit of joy. Therefore will I sing and dance. Halleluja.
Todays Bible verse Psalm 71: 1-24