When You’re Down, You’re Up

Do you remember the kiddie song that was invented I’m sure to keep me not bored at church:

When you’re up, you’re up

And when you’re down you’re down

And when you’re only halfway up…

Yes, that one. I've been thinking about that song this week. I've come to realize that when you’re down you can really be up. The seemingly impossible is due to Jesus and His salvation.

A dear sister/friend Pam referred me to this verse while I was down. And, low and behold, I wasn't down anymore. Had circumstances changed? No. My attitude toward the circumstances had changed. I saw the circumstances through the eyes of heaven. I saw God’s attitude toward me. Oh, here’s the verse she referred to me:

The Lord your God in in your midst;

He is the mighty one who saves.

He will rejoice over you with gladness;

He will quiet you with His love.

He will rejoice over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

God through the Holy Spirit is in the very middle of each one that is saved through Jesus. He is in the middle of me and my circumstances and in the middle of you and your circumstances. Right there in the very middle. That is what “in your midst” means.

He is the victorious mighty one in the middle of us who delivers and saves.

He will “yasis” over us. That’s the Hebrew word for rejoice and the word looks like a party: 

יָשִׂ֨ישׂ. 

See the balloons and confetti? Well, I do but then I've done a lot of kid’s parties. Anyway, He throws a great festival of rejoicing over little old you and little old me.

His love is so great for us that we don’t even have to question it. We can quietly be secure in this knowledge. But while we may be quiet, God is not. He is “yasis”ing and when He rejoices over us He even sings loudly.

Now this is a party to which I want to be invited. How about you? Good news! We are invited.

How can I be stressed and depressed when there’s a party going on?

How can I pout when He loves me that much?

How can I be down?