Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: January 18th

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. - Zephaniah 3:17.

OBSERVE the permanency of Jehovah’s love to his people. “He shall rest in his love;” that is, he shall feel fixed and changeless complacency and satisfaction. We do not always rest in our love, for love is often the offspring of ignorance and weakness’- a mere impulse of passion; it often leaves no solace or contentment in the review; it is one of the things that are repented of; it varies with a thousand causes; it sometimes not only cools with indifference, but it terminates in the most perfect disgust and aversion.

But with him there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. “I, the Lord, change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Is he a friend? He “loveth at all times.” Is he a husband? “I will betroth thee unto me,” not “until death us do part,” but “I will betroth thee unto me forever.” Is he a father? “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” He will, indeed, correct them. This is dealing with them as with sons; for what son is he whom his father chasteneth not? But, though he chastens, he will not cast them off, he will not disinherit them; he will heal their backslidings and love them freely; and, when the rod has answered its purpose, it will fall from his hand upon the ground, and he will break forth and say, “Is Ephraim, my dear son, is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still.” Men fail in their natural affection-and women, they sometimes fail in their natural affection.

Yes, the mother sometimes forgets her sucking child, and has no compassion on the son of her womb. Yes, says God, who knows all things, this may be the case with her, but, nevertheless, “I will not forget thee.” “Behold, I have engraven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”

He will rejoice over thee with joy. Zephaniah 3:17.

THE satisfaction here implied is the Saviour’s own joy arising out of the salvation of his people. He is “mighty to save.” “He will save; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing.”

First, We may view this joy of the Saviour as the result of success. Nothing is more distressing than to be unsuccessful in our efforts, and nothing is more delightful than to see those efforts crowned with success. What said our Saviour? “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come, but as soon as she is delivered of her child she remembereth no more her sorrow, for joy that a man is born into the world;” the very image inspiration applies to the Saviour and his sufferings, where it is said, “He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.” This was “the joy that was set before him,” for which “he endured the cross and despised the shame.” And oh, what joy did the Saviour experience when he ascended “to his Father and our Father, to his God and our God,” after saying, “I have finished the work thou gavest me to do.”

Secondly, This joy may be viewed as a manifestation of his benevolence. There is no pleasure to be compared with the pleasure of benevolence; none so unselfish, so pure, so elevating, and that will bear reflecting upon, like this. Such joy will be in proportion to the degree of benevolence possessed. How great therefore must be his joy! for

“His heart is made of tenderness,

His bowels melt with love.”

Thirdly, Let us view the Saviour’s joy as indicative of the delight and complacency with which he regards his people. “He taketh pleasure in them that fear him.” He himself says, in addressing his church, “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” For “as a bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” The Saviour’s joy over and in his people is the sinner’s hope. Oh, what encouragement does it afford to all penitents! If we were but as willing to receive his blessings as he is to confer them upon us, we, too, should go on our way rejoicing. When, therefore, we feel almost afraid to apply to him because of our unworthiness, let us remember that instead of offending him by so doing we shall give him the greatest pleasure.

Lastly, The Saviour’s joy is the saints’ example. He was infinitely more than an example, and nothing less. If we depend upon him, we must resemble him. If we glory in his cross, we must tread in his steps; we must weep with him when he weeps, and rejoice with him when he rejoices; “for if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his.”