Zephaniah Obscurely
We delight in your works, O Lord
And in the richness of your Word
And that creation’s endless glory
You fashioned for the human story.
So our lives are lit with splendour
By this gift that so reveals its sender
To you we always will belong
We are the loved ones in your song:
“The Lord will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love.
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
When I read this passage from the prophet Zephaniah, it sweeps me up in its joy. I can picture a small child in the arms of a singing parent, laughing as they dance merrily around a room. In the story of Job, God reveals that, at creation, the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy (Job 38:7) It’s a celebration! God loves to share delight in his creation, rejoices over us as his cherished children.
When things are difficult, it can be a real help to recall happy times. My co-worker Candice was in her thirties, but had never gotten her driver’s license. With the permission of our manager, Shelley, to take the same lunchtime, we set out to practice driving. After all, one person observed, my nerves were already shot because I’d already been through this with three teenagers.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget Candice’s exuberance the day of her driver’s exam – we could actually hear her coming as she ran up the stairs to our office to announce that she’d passed! Right there and then, we danced our dance of joy. To see a world open up for someone – the satisfaction was so deep it felt visceral. Teachers must feel that thrill, and I think God rejoices when we achieve a milestone, too. He loves to set people free from fears and limitations so they can live life to the fullest.
And I can’t resist, because while our dance of joy didn’t have the same finale as that of the actors on the sitcom Perfect Strangers, they were our inspiration. So, for your times of celebration, here is their YouTube video:
(Poem – Trudy Prins)
