The Lord's Delight
Good morning, Immanuel. Even greater than our love for Jesus is His love and enjoyment in us!
“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).
The gospel is good news that God pardons sinners and welcomes us through the blood of his Son Jesus. Anyone can get in on this by receiving Jesus with the empty hands of faith. As we receive Christ, we begin to change, and we begin to love him and enjoy him. But even greater than our love and enjoyment in him is the Lord’s love and enjoyment in us! What an amazing thought that the Lord of Mercy would actually delight in us! It is true. The one who lived for us, died for us, and raised for us, does not simply tolerate us as though we were a burden, he enthuses over us! He prefers us. He delights in us. He sets his affections on us! He sings over us! There is nothing mediocre about his heart for us. and with a love that deep, we can have full confidence that his love for us will never diminish or change. In the words of Spurgeon—
But, beloved, ye know right well that Jesus Christ’s love, when once it has engraved your name upon his hand and his heart, will never suffer that name to be erased. Ye believe, and ye believe aright, that he who has a portion in the heart of God has an eternal portion. He who can claim for himself a share of the Father’s love, of the Son’s redemption, and of the Spirit’s care, need never be afraid that all the thievish hosts of hell shall rob him of his divine inheritance. For look ye here, brethren, what is there, to separate you and me from Jesus Christ’s love…
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, who rejoices over us with gladness and loud singing!