Zeph. 3:17 and Empathy

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 (ESV) 

 This is one of my favorite verses.  It puts God in the right perspective in my mind.  He is with us, He is mighty.  But my favorite part is the last part of the verse: 

"he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing."

I want to focus on the top and bottom lines there.  God, Holy and Perfect, rejoices over us - sinners!  (Yes, those in Christ have been forgiven, but like Paul we continue to sin even if we don't want to.  See Romans 7:21-25...you can read vs. 14-20 as well.)  "he will exult over you with loud singing."  Singing!  God sings over you!!

Note: the emphasis in the verses is mine.

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I saw this video yesterday over my mom's shoulder.  It was so good.  It helped me to see what David Powlison meant in God's Love: Better Than Unconditional when he mentioned that God has empathy.  

Jesus....He knows what it's like.  God can fully understand you only on the basis of He's God, but Jesus let Himself come and actually experience every temptation that we have ever been confronted with, and actually experience the human life on earth.  

I know this video may help you on a human level with yourself or someone in your life, but I wanted to share this point of view of it too.

Thank you, veterans!

In light of Veteran’s Day being earlier this week, I would like to tell you some of the story of my great-uncle, Jerry.  Jerry was the oldest of five kids.  He and his siblings, Betty, Mary, Larry, and Arlene (my grandma), grew up on their parents’ farm in Otego, New York.  From the pictures I’ve seen of him, he seems to have been a cheerful young man. 

Jerry was a Private in the US Army, a member of Company G, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War.  When he was around twenty, he was part of a platoon sent on a mission to obtain “the high ground near Yudong-ni.” (as stated in a letter mailed to his father)  When the platoon had advanced to about 50 feet from their goal, they were “pinned down” because of “heavy enemy machine gun and grenade fire”.  With the platoon in this predicament, Uncle Jerry moved forward until he was “within ten feet of the enemy’s position” and began to throw hand grenades into “the hostile positions”.  The enemy, of course, returned his fire.  This cost him his life.

His death was not in vain, however.  His sacrifice allowed his platoon to be able to continue and complete its mission with little casualties.  His body was recovered and sent home to his family, who buried him in an Otego cemetery.  Years later he was honored with a Purple Heart.

From 1775 to now, men and women of the U.S. have given the greatest sacrifice they could give – their lives.  (John 15:13)  Thank you to all the service men and women, at home and abroad, for your sacrifice!  You have sacrificed NOT seeing the horrors of war, limbs, freedoms (for those who are or have been POWs), family dinners/get-togethers, watching your kids grow up, your spouse’s arms, safety, peaceful sleep, and comfort. 

These men and women have given for us, the people.  For us here and now and for unborn generations.  So that you and I can have freedoms - freedoms we must stand up for and not let get snatched from us or our children.  So that we can have comfort.  So that we can have peaceful sleep and never see war.  So that we can have safety.  So that we can be with our families.

Thank you, veterans, from the bottom of my heart! 

A special cheer for Bob M., Jan T., Grandpa H., Great-uncle Bill H., Great-uncle Stanley T., Great-uncle Dick B., and Great-uncle Jerry S.!