Look Up

He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. Zephaniah 3:17b

Do you look down at yourself like this?

Disappointed for you can not make things right in your life. Discouraged on yourself since you think you have not improved on your character. You think everything you put your hands on suffers solar eclipse. If the corporate has a ladder you are at the bottom. Feeling down on the person in the mirror for expectations are not met. You have broken promise after promise. You see yourself as a dead end street. You view yourself as a failure. You look at yourself as a loser.

Praise be to God! He does not look at you that way.

He rejoices over you with gladness. God rejoices not with the solar system. God rejoices not with the universe or the vast galaxies. He does not smile over the facade of the beautiful earth with its oceans and green lands. God jumps for joy because of you. Yes, you! No performance review needed. No resume required. He rejoices over you with gladness.

He renews you in His love for you. The you of yesterday is not the same of you today. You are renewed not by the new day but you are renewed by His love. His love changes you. God gives you a new heart. God gives you a new life. God gives you a new you. All of these are possible because He loves you.

He sings joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. In the Philippines or wherever Filipinos are, when there is a feast – a town founding day, a birthday, a wedding anniversary, a new job, or any celebration, people sing using a videoke. You would observe people sing happily and all out. Imagine God with a mic. He raises His mighty voice with combined tune and lyrics just for you. He belts out songs in joy for you. He sings like you sing when you take a shower.

Friends, do not look down on yourself for God doesn’t. Look up.