Our Mighty God Sings Over Us
Zephaniah 3:17 “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.””
Christmas is a joyful time, but for some, it’s a painful time when loss is felt more deeply, loneliness is more isolating and joy is hard to find. For some parents, it’s filled with grief and heartache. For some children, it’s the loss of something they once knew, or perhaps never knew, yet grieve all the same.
Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He knew the loss of a loved one as his earthly father passed away. He knew loneliness and pain. But He knew all of that because He chose to insert Himself into our world-the eternal stepping into the mortal, the infinite becoming finite, and yet infinite still. He became one of us so He could reach us and in doing so, He offered us forgiveness, redemption, and joy in His presence, eternally. He chose to come, even knowing what He would face and feel and lose…
The Lord our God IS with us! He is the Mighty Warrior who saves-even in the midst of grief, hardship and loss. This world is broken. Sin broke the God-ordained fellowship and ‘shalom’- everything in perfect harmony and brought pain, dysfunction and loss that continues to ripple through the generations, creating heavier waves of grief and brokenness. We feel it. But even when we fear we won’t ever feel joy again, He rejoices in us and takes great delight in us because He knows our story- He’s already written each part and He knows the end! We will be with Him one day and He will wipe away every tear. One day we will rejoice and dance in His presence, fully restored and our painful stories redeemed.
Today, pray that our sons and daughters know, without a doubt, that their Mighty Warrior is rejoicing over them with singing, protecting and caring for them. Pray they have hope because of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. And for our Christmas Season Challenge, pray the same for someone you know who has faced loss this year. Pray that they will be certain God is with them and rejoices over them.
“Father, thank You for being our Mighty God. Thank You that You are sovereign and You hold each moment in Your hands. Nothing takes You by surprise and nothing can overcome Your will. We know that in this world, we will have sorrow. Lord, I pray that You would be near to those who are suffering and grieving today. Encourage that one who needs You today. Lift up their head so they can see that You will redeem every trial and sorrow. Nothing is wasted- help that grieving one to trust You. Lord, I pray that You would bring joy in the midst of the sorrow and grief. Let this Christmas season be one of grateful thanks and joy for the redemption You provided through Jesus’ birth. I pray for my (son/daughter) today. Help them to be an encouragement to someone who needs hope. I also pray that if (name) is not walking with You or if their priorities are askew,, that You would get their attention and bring them back into sweet and right fellowship with You. Lord, we look at Christmas and see the miracle of God becoming man, entering a sin-filled world to bring hope, I pray that we would not lose sight of all You’ve done and continue to do. Thank you for rejoicing over us- help us to rejoice in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.