Her First Real Laugh: God Delights in You

"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." ~Zephaniah 3:17

A few months in, my daughter had smiled at me plenty of times, but last Tuesday she laughed for the first time — a real one! (Not gas.) My wife was changing my daughter when my wife pretended to sneeze, and my daughter let out this short, surprised bark of a laugh and then grinned like she had just discovered something. I was in the other room, so I ran in to see her laugh for myself. My wife made her laugh a few more times. I just wanted to hear that sound again, because it meant she was delighted, and her delight made me delighted.

Zephaniah pictures God doing something similar over us, and it is easy to read past because of how reserved the translation sounds. That is not a dignified, arm's-length kind of love. That is a father making faces over the crib because he cannot help himself. The word behind “exult” carries the idea of spinning or whirling with joy. God is not merely satisfied with us. He is delighted, the way my wife was standing over that changing table.

Many people grow up picturing God mostly as someone to be managed — keep the rules, do not disappoint Him, hope the ledger stays in your favor. But do you ever picture Him laughing? This verse describes a God who sings over His people the way my wife was grinning over my daughter's grin, delighted by something that cost her no performance at all. My daughter did not do anything to earn that laugh out of my wife. She was just being my daughter, and that was enough.

God Delights in You: Not in Your Performance

God delights in you right now, not in some future, improved version of you.

When was the last time you let yourself believe God actually delights in you, and not in your output? Not your checklist of good decisions and quiet times, but you, specifically, the way you are right now — tired, distracted, or behind on everything you meant to finish today.

Daily Practice: Before you open anything else today, read Zephaniah 3:17 slowly and picture God saying it about you by name. Let that be true without trying to earn a single thing.

Always improve the present moment.

~Corbin Riley