You are the Joy of His Heart

See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are!

— 1 John 3:1 (Amplified)

We all know people who have grandkids and listening to them talk, you would think they were the only grandparents ever. Their grandkids are absolutely the best.

However, when one looks at their grandkids, you see regular kids with a knack for being mischievous, loud and ordinary. They are not extraordinary, yet you would’ve thought there was something extra special about them when listening to that grandparent talk.

Why are these grandparents so taken with them? There is only one answer. These grandkids belong to them. With joy in their heart, they say, “my grandkids”.  Other children may have more talent, a better disposition, be extraordinary . . . however, those kids are not mine. It is the “they are mine” part, the “they belong to me” that endears the kids to the grandparent.

This is how Abba feels about you. You are His child and He adores you. You are the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8). Abba says of you, “You are mine, you are my daughter, my son, my beloved.” You are the joy of His heart. He rejoices over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). This word “rejoices” means exuberance, sheer delight, to spin around, to dance, to go around, to be excited, even to tremble with joy.

Have you ever been extremely excited, so much so that you were oblivious to others – spinning and dancing around?  That is how the Father feels about you! Picture it. Abba spinning around because of you. He L-O-V-E-S you! Oh how the Father loves you that you should be called a child of God. He calls you by name; He calls you His own.

God, our Redeemer, came into our darkness as Jesus, showing us that we too can live in communion with the Father. He reaches out to us saying, “Home” is in the arms of your Father, the One who loves you. 

Remember the words of the father to the older son in the story of the prodigal?  Luke 15:31, “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” This is you. This is me. Abba is saying to us, “I love you, you are always with me for you are mine and all that I have is yours.” He is trembling with exuberance, with sheer joy and delight over you.

“Keep yourself in the love of God”