God Dances Over You!

Frederick Nietzsche, the nineteenth century German philosopher famous for his quote that “God is dead,” stated, “If they want me to believe in their God, they’ll have to sing me better songs . . . I could only believe in a God who dances.” All Nietzsche needed was to read Zephaniah 3:17. All he had to do was listen to Jesus’ words in Luke 15:7 as He described the man who found the lost sheep and invited his friends to rejoice with him. Jesus said, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Scripture reveals that God does indeed dance with joy over His children.
In Zephaniah 3:14-17 we read of the joy God has for His people. “Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of 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, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
These verses give us three reasons to “be glad and rejoice.” First, according to verse 14, He rejoices over His people. While His love is extended to everyone, He takes delight in and rejoices over His own children with singing. These words come at the end of Zephaniah’s prophecy. Keep in mind that the glory of the Lord departed from the Temple (Ezek. 8-11) when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. God allowed the Babylonians to take Judah captive because of their idolatry and disobedience. But in the end, God returns in regal splendor, restores the Temple and removes the judgments from the people of Israel. This is a prophecy concerning the coming millennial reign of the Messiah. The fact is that God has always had a remnant of people for whom He holds out love and mercy. He truly rejoices over His own.
Secondly, He strengthens His people. In the last part of verse 16 notice the words “Do not let your hands hang limp.” All of us have experienced fatigue at some point. Because of weariness our hands become weak. Israel was weary because of the discipline of the Lord had led them into captivity in Babylon. But the promise of God was that He would deliver them and renew their strength. Though Israel would endure the captivity in Babylon, they were encouraged to look up and see God’s deliverance.
Thirdly, God pursues His people. Notice the phrase, “He is mighty to save.” In tender compassion God sought Israel to be His people. Though they rebelled time and again, and though they spurned His love for them, still He loved them and came to be their Deliverer.
Notice that verse 17 ends with the reminder that God will “rejoice over you with singing.” We’re right back where we started. Verse 14 tells of the reasons for rejoicing and now we see how God Himself rejoices over us. Can you just imagine the song of God? Can you imagine His voice booming through the heavens? Doesn’t it make you wonder what the song is that He is singing? Well, in Psalm 32:5-7 we read what the song is about. David is in the midst of a personal time of worship in which he confessed his sins before God. He concludes by saying, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” The song of God is a song of deliverance. A song in which He reminds us of our deliverance from the bondage of sin. That is the song with which He surrounds us in order to protect us. We have been delivered and there is no reason to be afraid.
Knowing that God rejoices over you as His child, knowing that He dances over you with joy, should fill you with great joy and gladness, and encourage you to live every day with
A STEADFAST HOPE!

The Trouble with Pride

It is never wise to overestimate your position or your abilities. Pride has a way of puffing us up to the point that we think we are invincible. Over-confidence can ruin a perfectly good day on the field of conflict or on the field of competition. Perhaps all of us have battled overconfidence at one point or another. My personal balloon, filled with the hot air of pride, was recently burst. The Buffalo Trace Golden Olympics were held recently. This is a friendly competition for senior adults over the age of 50. At the encouragement of a friend I entered the competition in a few innocuous events: golf, basketball free throws and putt-putt. Modesty prevented me from every event because I wanted everyone to have a chance at winning a gold medal. Taking note of the three events I was entered in, I didn’t see the need for much training.

In golf, I won the gold medal simply because the only other person in my age bracket hadn’t played more than once in the past year. We then moved to the basketball court for the free throw competition. I spent about five minutes getting my stroke down and in the process sized up the competition. Outside of my friend’s wife I was the youngest competitor, so I thought my chances were good – if not a clear out cinch - to win. My friend led the way by making nine out of twenty free throws. I was second. I, too, made nine. We moved on to the putt-putt course while the others completed the free-throw competition. We later learned that an older gentleman with a bad leg (he was actually walking around with a crutch!) won the event by making 14 out of 20. Adding insult to injury was the fact that an 83 year-old woman made ten out of twenty!

Still holding out hope for my final event, putt-putt, my friend and I finished tied. As he went off to play softball, I waited around with several others to await the outcome of the later matches. It was official: we were tied for the gold. That’s when his wife stepped up and offered to take his place in a one whole play-off to determine the winner of the Golden Olympics Putt-Putt event. Being a gentleman, and in a move of gamesmanship, I offered to let her putt first. To her surprise, and my dismay, she sank her putt on the first stroke. Dashed were my hopes of a second gold medal, and burst was my bubble of over-confident pride.

It is a dangerous thing to think too highly of yourself. We cannot allow the thought that we are immune to the judgment of God, either. When God spoke to the Edomites through the prophet Obadiah He said, 3The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' 4Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD.

If you are a Christian today, don’t allow the thought that you have accomplished anything on your own. It is the Lord Who gives you strength to do whatever you do. So, to Him belongs the glory and praise. And remember: He will not share His glory with anyone! Remember, too, that Proverbs 16:18 says “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Walk humbly before the Lord and He will give you a steadfast heart.

If you are not a Christian and your pride is keeping you from seeking the Lord, humble yourself now. In 1 Peter 5:6 we read, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” It will be the beginning of
A STEADFAST HOPE!