By the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

How encouraging for believers to know that God rejoices in His saints! We cannot see any reason in ourselves for the Lord to take pleasure in us. And we cannot take delight in ourselves, for we recognize and are burdened with our sinfulness, thus deploring our own unfaithfulness to Him. We also fear that God’s people cannot delight in us, for surely they discern many of our imperfections and foolish actions. In fact, they are more apt to mourn our weaknesses than admire our talents and strengths. Due to this, we love to dwell on this incomparable truth — this glorious mystery — that just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, the Lord rejoices over us.

Nowhere in the Scriptures do we read that God rejoices in cloud-capped mountains or sparkling stars, but we do read that He delights in places where His people are found, and that He rejoices in His people themselves. Nor do we see anywhere in God’s Word where even angels bring His soul delight, for nowhere does He say, concerning cherubim and seraphim: “You will be called Hephzibah, . . . for the Lord will take delight in you” (Isa. 62:4). But He does say that to us ​— poor, fallen creatures, debased and depraved by sin ​— yet saved, exalted, and glorified by His grace.

How strongly God expresses His delight in His people! Who could have even conceived of the eternal One bursting forth into song? Yet His Word tells us: “He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). As the Lord looked upon the world He had created, He said, “It was very good” (Gen. 1:31). But when He beheld those who were purchased by the blood of Jesus, His own chosen ones, it seems as though the great heart of the Infinite could no longer restrain itself, for it overflowed in divine exclamations of joy.

In light of this, we should declare our grateful response to the Lord’s miraculous declaration of His love for us and sing to Him: “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Hab. 3:18).

By the pen of Jim Reimann:

Speaking of rejoicing, we as believers can rejoice over what the Lord has prepared for His people, for He has said:

Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. . . . They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

Isaiah 65:17 – 19, 21 – 24

Father, how amazing that You rejoice in me! I rejoice in You today!