God Loves Singing
When I was growing up, my grandmother was the organist at Leesburg United Methodist Church. The piano was the center piece of furniture in her living room, and every time we went for a visit, we could always count on gathering around that piano and singing. I think by the time I was twelve, I knew every hymn in the hymnal. I had three brothers, and our grandmother would have us singing every chance she got. My grandmother was happiest when she had her boys gathered around her.
In the Book of Zephaniah, Zephaniah concludes his message with powerful hope. Most of the book warns of severe judgement despite God’s efforts to correct His people. God promises them a peace-filled unity – “I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9) His emphasis on lips is interesting. Verse 13 says, “I will leave within (Israel) the meek and humble. They will do no wrong, they will tell no lies.”
Zephaniah describes God’s love in a way that is astounding. He describes God as rejoicing over His people with singing. God’s people had failed to obey Him or to treat one another with compassion, but Zephaniah promised that in the end, God’s love would prevail over their failures. Zephaniah 3:15 says that God would take away their punishment and verse 17 says God will rejoice over them. God will gather His people into His arms, bring them home, and restore them (v. 20).
This is “love” that is worth singing about every day. I wish my grandmother were still alive so we could gather around that piano and sing. Remember – God loves singing!
Prayer – God, thank You for your forgiveness and love for each of us. We remember that God rejoices over us with singing. Amen.
Zephaniah 3:17 – “God will rejoice over you with singing.”
By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: MD Duran, Tadas Mikuckis & Markus Spiske, courtesy of Unsplash