At the end of his book, the prophet Zephaniah paints a picture of what it will be like for modern Israel to be gathered and delivered. Here is part of his description:
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
I like this description, because it portrays God as being not only willing but also eager to save us. The idea that the Creator of the Universe will sing and rejoice over my salvation is a very powerful image.
It’s so easy for us to become discouraged with ourselves and to forget how powerful our Ally is. But the heart of the gospel is the belief that God can save us. Nephi urged us to press forward with “unshaken faith” in Christ, “relying wholly on the merits of him who is mighty to save” (2 Nephi 31:19). Alma encouraged the people in the city of Gideon to “have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness” (Alma 7:14). And to the Zoramites, Amulek said simply, “Cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save” (Alma 34:18).
Elder J. Devn Cornish has reminded us that God wants to save us:
Let me be direct and clear. The answers to the questions “Am I good enough?” and “Will I make it?” are “Yes! You are going to be good enough” and “Yes, you are going to make it as long as you keep repenting and do not rationalize or rebel.” The God of heaven is not a heartless referee looking for any excuse to throw us out of the game. He is our perfectly loving Father, who yearns more than anything else to have all of His children come back home and live with Him as families forever. He truly gave His Only Begotten Son that we might not perish but have everlasting life! Please believe, and please take hope and comfort from, this eternal truth. Our Heavenly Father intends for us to make it! That is His work and His glory.
“Am I Good Enough? Will I Make It?” General Conference, October 2016
Today, I will remember that God is not a dispassionate observer of my life. He is an invested stakeholder. His joy is great when He sees me grow and progress. (See Doctrine and Covenants 18:13.) He is mighty, He wants to bless us, and when we receive His blessings, He rejoices!
Book of Mormon Study Notes 
Paul, this Zephaniah quotation was thrilling. How wonderful to envision
our Heavenly Parents as not only “mighty to save” and willing to do so
but joyous in doing so. (And “invested stakeholder” is a
characterization I could probably never have come up, but I love it that
you did.
Lavina
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I also was delighted to find this verse buried in the so-called “lesser prophets” of the Old Testament.
I could have said “cheerleader,” but I don’t think that term adequately convey’s God’s commitment to our success and happiness. I suppose I can’t help thinking in terms of banking/business metaphors. You’ll see that even more in the post that will publish tomorrow morning.
One part of that verse which I didn’t comment on has been on my mind all week: “He will rest in his love” (KJV), or as the English Standard Version renders it: “He will quiet you by his love.” Since my brain can easily become over-active to the detriment of my productivity, I like the thought that God can help me quiet the noisiness inside.
Have a great day, and thanks for the comment!
Paul
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