This Is No "Top Gun" Serenade

Through one of my pastor’s recent sermons I was introduced to Zephaniah 3:17, a passage in the Old Testament that says…

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.

For those of you who are sons and daughters of God, is this how you envision your Heavenly Father expressing his affections towards you? My initial reaction was somewhat conflicted. I felt humbly blessed and in awe of God’s love for me, yet also considerably unnerved. There are a few reasons that come to mind for the latter feelings.

First, it’s a little unsettling that the holy, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Ancient of Days would express his affections for a rebellious and sinful person like me who quite successfully and regularly trashes his image in which he made me. Second, like most men, there always lies close beneath the surface a culturally influenced macho-ism that says a man singing to another man is not in any way comfortable, even if it is He singing to a he. Third, negative associations can taint your view of otherwise good things. For instance, say in junior high a guy named Bobby gave you a wedgie in front of the entire gym class. Obviously this was a very embarrassing and traumatic event in your life; and therefore, 'Bobby' may not be a name you would choose for your firstborn child. Related to this verse and God signing loudly over me, the first serenade that comes to my mind is Tom Cruise (Maverick) singing that cheesy, drunken and off-key version of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” to Kelly McGillis in the movie Top Gun. It’s literally making me nauseous just thinking about that movie scene. Gross! (Sorry, I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.)

When the Counselor graciously moves me past the sin-tainted spiritual and mental hazards keeping me from delighting in this verse, there’s scarcely a more heart impacting verse in the Bible. Not only is Yahweh (the personal name for God) with me and saving me, but he gladly rejoices over me. The truth of this is nothing short of dumbfounding. Despite all of my shortcomings, excuses, functional and actual idolatry, rebellion and blatant disregard for all that God is and has done for me, he does not reluctantly or begrudgingly rejoice over me due to mere obligation or covenantal commitment. No, he gladly rejoices over me! And not only this, but he loves me with such humanly incomprehensible depth that I am shocked into a state of quiet peace and content.

To top off this display of love, God exults over me with loud singing! Exulting can be described as rejoicing exceedingly or being highly elated over something. The previous reference to rejoicing just won’t capture his excitement and affections for me. In his sermon, Sam Storms explains that singing brings clarity, intensity, vulnerability and intimacy to communicating feelings like mere words simply cannot. God is not satisfied with pronouncing his affections towards me with merely spoken words; they can’t capture the essence of how he feels about me. Also notice that God does not whisper a song or even sing soft, mellow songs. Considering my life, that seems much more appropriate! What does God’s loud singing sound like? Perhaps it can be likened to the most powerful displays we see in nature such as the roar of Niagara Falls, yet with the gentleness and serenity of the smallest mountain stream. This is no Top Gun serenade!

I purposefully wrote the previous two paragraphs in first person. And although it did my heart tremendous good to ponder God’s special love for me, I wrote them in this manner to encourage you to personalize these truths as you re-read them. Before you do this, claim the truths in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 that explains how Christ Jesus is our righteousness through God’s doing and choosing alone, so there is no boasting except in what the Lord has done. For all who reject dependence on themselves and trust in Jesus Christ alone, your failings and my failings don’t change and can’t change the fact that God sings loudly over us!

Amazing Grace

Why does one man’s life end in defiance of God’s free offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ’s atoning work on the cross and resurrection from the dead, while another man turns from self reliance and doubt, trusting Jesus as his Savior and Lord as his life nears its end? Surely this change of heart can only be attributed to God’s amazing grace!

This past weekend I attended the funeral of my very special and beloved Papa Denz. He represents the second man in the scenario mentioned above. At 87 years of age, exactly two weeks to the day before taking his last breath, his self-reliance ceased and his supposed ‘intellectual’ resistance crumbled. He clung to Jesus as his only hope for peace with God.

Chapter 2 of Ephesians explains that before faith we were “dead in our trespasses and sins” and “children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Thankfully our condition doesn’t end there as the passage goes on to say, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.”

This side of heaven, Christians will never universally agree how God carries out this miracle of grace through the Holy Spirit. However, we can all stand in unison and give God all the glory as we sing these words from that great hymn by John Newton:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.