On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
 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.”  Zephaniah 3:16-17

As a working mom, I don’t always have the opportunity to take my kids to school in the mornings.  That job is usually left to my husband, who does an amazing job with it.  But this past week I had the opportunity to take my 7 year old to school and to pick him up.  I LOVE watching him as he walks into and out of the school.  It’s a joy I find difficult to explain.  There’s something about seeing him take those small steps to independence that fills my heart with delight.  I love his big grin, his little wave goodbye or hello, the giant backpack hanging off his shoulders.  I love watching him walk away into the building, happy to be going into school.  I love watching him run down the steps when the day is done, eager to be back home with his family.  It seriously makes me giddy.  And it doesn’t make any sense.  I delight in him.  I delight in those moments.

I used to think that the word delight meant that you really enjoyed something.  Like, I delight in chocolate cake.  But having children has deepened my understanding of delight.  Delight is something that bubbles up from within the soul.  Delight fills our entire being with joy and happiness and wonder and love.  Delight isn’t something that we manufacture.  It doesn’t come from a store.  Delight comes from being in a moment.  Delight comes when we let go of ourselves and see something in a new light–in a purer and holier light.

And so, it’s inexplicable to me that Scripture tells us God delights in us.  It’s shocking to me to think that God, the Creator of the universe, the Holy of Holy’s, the Alpha and Omega, the I Am would EVER delight in one such as me.  Most days, I’m pretty confident that I do nothing to bring about great delight.  In fact, when I think of how God responds when He looks at me I’d expect more of a “Meh…” response.  I’m not thoughtful, I’m kind of a lazy Christian, I’m fairly self-centered and I don’t go into each day giving God 100%.  So why would God delight in me?

I think the most simple answer to this question is that God created me.  He created you.  And God proclaimed that ALL His creation was good.  God loves us.  God delights in us.  We haven’t earned it.  We don’t deserve it.  We can’t control it.  God Is.  He Does.  And He Delights.

I can’t explain it.  I don’t understand it.  I’m terrible at recognizing it.  But it’s a truth that is hidden in my heart.  And when I remember the great undeserving love God has for me–it brings me to my knees.

God delights in me.  God delights in you.  What a blessing!!  What a God!

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

P.S. Here are a few more verses if you’re like me and need some reminders of that God does indeed delight in His children.

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
    extol him, all you peoples.
 For great is his love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Psalm 117:1-2

Give thanks to the Lord because He is good.  His love lasts forever! Psalm 136

I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers
Romans 8:37-39

See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19