“He (God) will (does) take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zeph. 3:17
Heavenly Father, you really are this good. Though our full experience of your great delight, quieting love, and joyful serenading await us in heaven, this is exactly how you relate to us today, and every day.
You don’t love and delight in us to the degree we are Christ-like; but on the basis of our “in-Christ-ness” and “Christ-within-ness.” Through our union with Christ, we already have all the forgiveness and righteousness we’ll ever need.
And Christ living inside of us is our “hope of glory” (Col. 1:27)—that is, the guarantee you will complete your work of salvation in us (Phil. 1:6). We won’t just “make it to glory,” we are destined to be as gloriously loving as Jesus (1 John 3 :1-3).
How do we respond to all this, Father? First of all, thank you—a HUGE and eternal thank you for the person and work of Jesus. Secondly, keep freeing us from our chronic unbelief, Gospel-amnesia, and grace-aversion.
Thirdly, please turn the volume way up on your joyful singing over us. It’s happening right now in the courts of heaven; make it unmistakably real and unavoidably loud in the chambers of our hearts.
May the Gospel be like the best noise-canceling ear-pods ever—enabling us to feel your delight, know your quieting love, and hear your serenading above all the noise. Please Father, in Jesus’ name we pray.