Advent Devotional: Day 6

“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 signing.”  Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

When I am unsettled or depressed, music is my go-to pick-me-up. Christmas music seems to be the one style that does something for me, as does Christian Hymns.  When my mother was dying, I had a forty-five-minute trip each way to see her. I played Andrea Bocelli’s Sacred Arias all the way to see her, and Hymns on my way back to my house.  That time in the car was so sweet.  I took the time to pray and worship on the first part of the trip, which allowed me to be at peace while visiting her. I needed the hymns to settle my soul back down.

This verse is like Christmas music to me. It makes me smile. Acknowledging God is with us during Advent is what Advent is all about. Immanuel means God with us.  Have you ever thought about God rejoicing or singing loudly over you?  I hadn’t until this verse.  My grandfather had a beautiful voice and he loved to sing songs whenever I was around.  I can kind of picture God like my grandfather, but pitch perfect, beautiful, and loud.

But the part of the verse that makes me want to cry is the part about quieting me.  “He will quiet you by His love.”  He knew I would need to be quieted (soothed) because the world around is far from quiet, calm, or even tranquil.  This verse points to a future I long for, to be quieted by God and to hear Him sing over me.

How do you restore your Hope when things around you are difficult?