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Monday, April 30, 2012

He will rejoice over you with singing...


I think about that phrase. What does the Old Testament prophet Zephaniah mean? He says the Lord is in your midst.  Does God inhabit our space the way Josiah inhabits his new home?  Invading the neat and tidy order, this new baby has charged in and brings chaos.  And we melt.



New International Version (©1984)
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." Zephaniah 3:17






For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."

he will calm all your fears

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
 We rejoice over this little one, we are giddy with love-


We take silly pictures with funny props.....



We wrap him like a burrito and place him on colorful pillows.....


"The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.



We take photographs with his mouth stretched wide....

Or when he looks like a slightly dopey old man.

 We rejoice over Josiah, we share our joy-


We photograph the half naked baby with a finger jammed in his mouth
 so Daddy can show him off on Skype.


We rejoice, we sing over Josiah, we calm his fears-






The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.




Does He really? Does God really rejoice over .... me? Does He rest in his love... for me? Is He truly mighty in the midst.... of pain, suffering, birth, death.... life?  

Yes! Jesus said if a man, who is evil, gives good gifts, how much more does the heavenly Father give those who love him ....  



For five days, Josiah has done nothing of worth, earned no money, made no deals-  instead he has christened couches, beds and the floor, and generally disrubted his parents' lives. He has not earned our love or demanded it. He just came.




 And we rejoice, we laugh, we kiss tiny toes, we sing, we comfort him with our love.... naturally we give, we pour out.    Supernaturally we respond to this new life in our midst. 



And if we who are human, fallen and self-centered can rejoice over such a small person with no visible response to us, then, yes! I can believe - that our Father rejoices over us.  


He is in the midst of us. 


 He is mighty to save, 


He will rejoice over us with joy,

He will quiet us with his love,       He will rejoice over us with singing.
     

The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.


We can rest in Hope.




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2 comments:

  1. RickandJanMay 1, 2012 at 6:30 AM

    Thanks for the beautiful photos of beautiful Josiah and his mom and dad too.
    Thanks for the reminder of how God loves us before we do anything lovable, reminding me again that I don't earn it and I don't deserve it and it is to love me.
    A baby changes everything. :)
    Love you all and kiss some baby cheeks for me!

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  2. JuanitaMay 1, 2012 at 7:18 AM

    Smiled all the way through this.
    Brought memories of the birth of my daughter's 3 sons. I stayed with her for 3-5 weeks for each birth. I did the very same that you did Kathryn. I prayed blessing, exhortations, scripture, and smothered them in love.
    I'm still smiling over your words. Bravo! Well said from the heart and a mirror of HIS.

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