As promised, the paperback edition of His Song in the Night: Tuning My Heart to God’s Grace is now available on Amazon. If you would like an autographed copy or would like to order directly from me, please let me know by emailing me at hissonginthenight@gmail.com. Those copies will not be available until after March 11th, and shipping will be extra if it is not an in-person exchange. Below, you will find the first devotion included. I pray it is a blessing!
The God Who Sings
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
There is no sweeter memory I have than that of my husband rocking our newborn children in his arms while singing a song created just for them. I can still recall the unique words he sang over each of our three daughters and our son. When they were crying, the sound of his voice would instantly quiet them as they gazed up into his eyes. Whatever the trouble had been, our children knew that their father had heard their cries and would meet their need.
Whether you had an earthly father like this or not, you were created by a Heavenly Father who is intimately and personally involved in your life. He knows you. He calls you by name. There is nothing about you that catches Him by surprise. Even more astounding is that despite what He knows about you, His love is unconditional. There is nothing you will ever do that will make Him stop loving you, though there are many things that will break His heart.
This verse from Zephaniah reveals more details of this loving Heavenly Father that are also important to know. This Father is mighty. He is in control of every detail, and nothing escapes His notice. The prophet writes that God will save. There is no doubt left in his mind that not only is God able to save, but He will. While all seems chaotic to the child, the Father is at rest, fully consumed by His strong love for the little one He holds in his arms.
How can you know that this verse applies to you, and not just God’s other children? The easiest way is to place your name into the most well-known verse in the Bible: John 3:16.
For God so loved (your name), that he gave his only begotten Son, that (your name, who) believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Another writer from the Bible, the Apostle Paul, put it this way: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
This Father gave His perfect Son, Jesus, to die on a cruel cross, so that He could save you from the death that sin deserves. He did not just talk about how much He loved you, but He demonstrated it with such life-changing force that it changed the course of history. If you receive this gift of love by calling upon Jesus to save you from the penalty that sin deserves, you can trust that every other part of your life will be cared for by your compassionate Father.
Questions for Reflection:
How does this view of God as your loving, intimately involved Heavenly Father change the way you look at the circumstances of your life?
Given this perspective, how do you see the importance of prayer when you have a need?
If you could hear God’s song that He sings over you, what might the lyrics be?
His Song in the Night 