Today’s passage I wrote out from Zephaniah 3:16-17, “The time is coming when they will say to Jerusalem, ‘Do not be afraid, city of Zion! Do not let your hands hang limp! The Lord your God is with you; his power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in his love he will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you.’”

I started this week’s devotionals sharing a small glimpse of what I experienced when I lost my mom to cancer 6 months ago. I want to share with you today about my dad and how he embodied this passage on the day of my mom’s funeral.

There are two things that my dad enjoys in this world: sports and music. Growing up in the late 80s and early 90s, ESPN and VH1 were always on the television. But it wasn’t until my parents, at a later age when they immigrated from the Philippines with me in tow, experienced what Zephaniah 3:17 describes “in his love he will give you new life” they accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives. 

My dad loves learning and teaching himself familiar and new songs on his guitar. So when Jesus transformed his life, he began to learn and sing worship songs. My dad led worship with just his guitar every Sunday growing up and he’s still leading worship for a small congregation in a city church of St. Louis. 

Fast forward to the day of my mom’s funeral. My dad stood on the stage of that church and he led worship at her funeral. His hardest performance to date. But all that flowed out of him was what Zephaniah says: “He will sing and be joyful over you.” 

I read a small excerpt in a commentary about the prophet Zephaniah, “The call to rejoice is a call to believe in God’s faithfulness.” That is exactly what my dad will tell you how he lives daily without my mom by his side: he continues to rejoice in the Lord with a song and his guitar because it affirms God’s faithfulness in his life and it upholds his faith in God. 

I leave you with a chorus from a song titled Hard Fought Hallelujah performed by Brandon Lake feat. Jelly Roll:

Yeah, I don’t always feel it

Yeah, but that’s when I need it the most

So, I’ma keep on singing

‘Til my soul catches up with my song

There’s times when my hands go up freely

And times that it costs, oh-oh

There’s days when a praise comes out easy

Days when it takes all the strength I got

I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt

Been-through-hell hallelujah (ooh, ooh)

And I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail

Story-to-tell hallelujah, oh

‘Cause God, You’ve been patient

God, You’ve been gracious

Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing

So I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallelujah.

In His Hands,

Angel Kruse