What in the world? She is singing like a crazy person. Who is this God that He is for me? For me doing what? If He truly knew me, He certainly wouldn't be as for me as she is singing about! Paul's claim that he was the chief of sinners is a stretch at the moment. I am fairly sure that we are tied. Even when I feel like there is no way God will be "for me" I am surprised by Him.
I am glad to have a surprising God! I enjoy giving my wife surprises--she does not enjoy them as much because they usually involve her needing to adjust the month's budget. Even those surprises are usually in response to something wonderful that she has done. Flowers for a special day. A card when she is on call saying I miss her. An extravagant gift for a birthday or anniversary. Even a homemade, Jody Smith exclusive, project that usually requires me messing up the house in order to make it better when she has had a rough month in her residency program. All these things can be explained--God cannot be explained! He surprises me with his devotion to His children when they desert Him. He sacrifices His one and only son when His people are the ones who willingly crucify Him. He guides and directs our paths when we want nothing but to grab the wheel and go where we please. And He blows my mind when I read in Zephaniah that my God delights over me with singing!
Our God is faithful and just to cleanse us from our unrighteousness, our sin, and our blatant disobedience. Why? Why does the creator of everything we know and more things we don't know continue to choose to love us? It is His choice that we are the recipients of His love. This is not a love He gives as though we were simply buddies, or even that we were lovers who go through rough patches. He chooses to love us with His agape love. This unconditional love is that of a father with his child. My daughter is just one year old and I can see even now that she has a sin nature. She will hit me in the face and decide that it is not nap time even when I am trying to rock her to sleep. She does not know right from wrong yet, but still shows desire to do the wrong. I do not set her on the floor and say, "You hit me in the face. I choose not to love you right now. I'll provide you a warm room to sleep in and food, but I do not guarantee any affection or any spiritual or emotional provision." I simply move her arm and continue to tell her that I love her and I attempt to quiet her. Zephaniah once again says that God quiets us with His love. There is something comforting in the fact that our God will quiet us with His agape love.
Kari Jobe is singing that He knows us, and STILL he is for us. He knows our sin and He forgives it faithfully. He knows our selfish desires and still waits for us to seek His face and know His will. He knows our fickle, fallen, human characteristics and behavior and still He chooses to love us without conditions. He knows all of that and is still for us. He is for us succeeding, seeking Him, being loved, loving, and experiencing all He has for us through His son.
I pray that God will never forsake us in our weaknesses and that we will realize that seeking His face will result in a life-changing faith. Faith in God begins at our surrender. Surrendering who we are in our own selves and holding on to God's purpose for us which is to know Him more and to make Him known among the nations.
God remind us of who You are!
~jody
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