Hug

On Sunday, Meghan Williams ended the message reading the book HUG, by Jen Alborough, about a little monkey looking for love and finding it in so many places.

It made me think about a wonderful verse hidden in one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament. Zephaniah has been speaking to the people about all kinds of messiness in their lives and in the world, as is usual for the truth-telling prophets. And then at the very, very end of the book, God breaks through all the fog and confusion and pain, like a sun breaking through the clouds.

And this is where the book ends, with this picture of God:

Yahweh your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
Yahweh will take great delight in you;
    in love God will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing. - Zephaniah 3:17

Could you see God that way - as both the mighty warrior AND the swooning lover? As both Savior and Singer?

Perhaps it might feel like a hug to allow in all of this goodness. To that end, take some time to listen in to this song about God’s remarkably fond love of you (Stephen led it for us on Sunday): Wonderfully Made by Ellie Holcomb.