Have you ever heard God sing?

That is a question that just might overload the imagination of the mightiest of artists, intellectuals, theologians and musicians of the world. When we think of God we often imagine a holy and powerful Being, Someone only concerned with our moral behavior and our keeping to the rules - and if we stray from those rules, we might start smelling acrid smoke, and feeling ever increasing degrees of heat at our feet as the escalator begins a downward journey into the darkness. . . .

If not such a harsh view of God, we may imagine Him to be Someone passively monitoring the overall trajectory and course of the universe, keeping track of His creation along with all the massive numbers of prayers directed His way - which in this view, He may choose to answer or He may not. He is Someone who is there, the One who did create everything, but seems to be far away and not involved.

But wait - Here is a verse in the Bible that points to a rather incredibly different view of God - a view that is so very amazing, encouraging, satisfying and overwhelmingly good! The verse is found in the 'white pages of the Bible" - the white pages here refers to an area of the Bible that people don't often venture into for reading, and so the pages, not being touched much by human hands remain 'white" and unsoiled :-) But is there some such verse in the Bible? Actually, yes. I am of course speaking about one of the minor prophets of the Bible - Zephaniah, and the verse I am referring to can be found in chapter 3, verse 17.

Here the verse - "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." Of course it only follows that the Creator who created and structured tones to match and harmonize, that made ears to hear such tones, notes and musical combinations, and Who created humanity with voices and ingenuity to develop a myriad of instruments that celebrate this aural capacity - of course He knows, loves, celebrates, exhilarates and joys in His own personal expression of music and song - well at least the Bible says he does.

We may get stuck thinking that the Bible or the "Church" is the only 'voice' God has. But this verse cracks open heaven just a wee bit allowing us into the amazing and wonderful view of so much more going on in, through and around God! And on top of this, the song He is singing is not about Himself, His greatness, or amazing power, BUT is about US.

Can it be that there is a God of love that is so taken with His people that He is with us, that He is a Mighty Warrior who is out to save and rescue us, pulling us in from the dark, hateful, cold brokenness of our little and petty existences. He takes great delight in us (like a Father watching an innocent child discover some new ability, or wonder in the world around them, or in their recognizing the gentle overmatching love surrounding them) - that is personal, that is somehow a very intimate and revealing point about God.

But on top of all of that - that God would be soooo delighted in His relationship with us that He breaks out into His own, magnificent, multi-tonal, rhythmic and all encompassing song - all in rejoicing over us with song. This is not about nature or the stars speaking back to us or providing us with a measure of unit, whole or collective energy - this is something much bigger, intentional, personal and good.

Have you heard that song? Are you listening?