I have a strong feeling today that there are some of you who need encouragement. You feel like you just can't anymore; like the punches keep coming and you don't have the strength to even try to deal with one more thing …
Hear the Word of the Lord as He speaks to you today (Substitute your own name for Israel and Zion, and "son" for daughter, if you like):
"Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." "I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes," says the LORD." (Zephaniah 3: 14 - 20)
Why should you sing today, in the midst of your troubles and sorrow? Here are 3 reasons:
a. The Lord is able to save you from both your own sins and from your enemies!! The very thing you are unable to do for yourself, He is HERE, in your midst, to do it for you.
b. My mom used to have couches that were soft like velvet, but if you rubbed the fabric the wrong way it would stand up and feel rough and hard. For some of you, that's how you feel today - anxious, and frustrated, and scratchy. The Lord is able to quiet and calm your restless, desperate heart and mind, if you will unclench your fists and rest in His love.
c. Music is not a natural "language" for me to speak, so you know that I am really moved if I burst into song! Well, that's how much you move the heart of the Father - you might think you're a mess-up, or a failure, but He sings over you! His Children bring Him great joy!
"Think of the great Jehovah singing! Can you imagine it? Is it possible to conceive of the Deity breaking into a song: Father, Son and Holy Spirit together singing over the redeemed? God is so happy in the love which he bears to his people that he breaks the eternal silence, and sun and moon and stars with astonishment hear God chanting a hymn of joy." (Spurgeon)
One of my favourite songs is "Drops In The Ocean" ... this is the song I hear the Father singing over you this afternoon.
"I want you as you are, not as you ought to be
Won't you lay down your guard and come to Me
The shame that grips you now is crippling
It breaks My heart to see you suffering
'Cause I am for you
I'm not against you
If you wanna know how far My love can go
Just how deep
Just how wide
If you wanna see how much you mean to Me
Look at My hands
Look at My side
If you could count the times I'd say you are forgiven
It's more than the drops in the ocean!"