Welcome to this month’s new series: God’s Crazy About You!
I’m honestly so excited to dive into this series, because I believe we’re about to uncover some jaw-dropping truths about just how deeply God loves us. So… let’s get to it.
If you followed along in January, we spent time talking about Dwell—choosing God’s presence as the place we live, not just the place we visit.
Along the way, we learned that position—resting, waiting, and listening—is what keeps us there.
And now (drum roll)… we’re stepping into how crazy God is about you. We’re leaning into His love—the reason we stay.
And if I’m honest, today’s topic is the part of God’s love we don’t talk about nearly enough… which is exactly why I’m so excited to jump in.
Folded Arms
We get this visual more times than not that God is up in heaven with folded arms every time we make a mistake or miss it. Or that he deals with us through guilt and shame instead of joy. Right?
It’s hard to remove our human lens from how WE see everything is interpreted than how HE actually sees us, but let me give you some brilliant insight to something we don’t think about.
God laughs with you, He rejoices with you, He rejoices OVER you, and He celebrates you.
Did you ever think about that? Let me explain because I have the perfect story taken from Nehemiah to blow your mind.
So picture this.
In Nehemiah, the people of Israel had just come out of a really long, really hard season. They had been exiled, scattered, and disconnected—not just from their land, but from their relationship with God. And now they’re back. The walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt, and there’s this moment where Ezra stands up and starts reading the Word of God out loud.
And as he’s reading, it hits them.
Like… really hits them.
They realize how far they’ve drifted. How long it’s been since they’ve actually been living in alignment with God.
I get that.
I really do.
Because there are moments when God’s truth comes into our lives and we suddenly see things more clearly—and it doesn’t feel good at first. It feels heavy. It feels convicting. It feels like, Wow… how did I get here?
That’s where they were.
And honestly, that’s usually where we expect God to step in with folded arms and a long list of corrections. But that’s not what happens.
Instead, Ezra steps in and says (paraphrasing), “Okay—enough crying. This day is holy. Go eat good food. Drink something sweet. Share with those who don’t have any. And rejoice… because the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
I mean—what?!
God didn’t meet their repentance with shame.
He met it with joy.
He didn’t say, “Sit in your failure. You deserve it!”
Instead, He said, “Let my joy restore you.”
And that completely shifts how we should see God’s love.
Because it tells us that yes—God corrects us. Yes—He disciplines us. But He also celebrates us coming back. He rejoices when we turn our hearts toward Him.
Scripture even says that God rejoices over us with singing—that He literally celebrates us with joy (Zephaniah 3:17).
Who does that?
God does.
And that’s the kind of love we’re stepping into here. Not a love that pushes us away when we miss it—but a love that draws us close and says, “Come back. Sit down. Let my joy do the healing.”
The Challenge
I want to challenge your thinking today with these thoughts:
God laughs with you.
God delights in you.
God celebrates you.
Let me remind you again - God tells the people who are crying over their sin to go eat! To celebrate. To enjoy the day. This is coming from a Father who knows joy is what actually heals the heart and gives them the strength they need to continue forward.
As I was sitting with all of this, my mind kept going back to the very beginning—to the garden of Eden.
God walked with Adam and Eve daily. There was no awkwardness, no fear, no shame attached to being in His presence. Walking with God was normal. Connection was normal. Joy was normal. They weren’t wondering what kind of mood God was in or bracing themselves when He showed up (because in all honesty, He’s not that way, we are). Relationship with Him was simply life.
It wasn’t until they ate from the one tree God told them not to eat from that everything shifted.
For the first time, shame entered the picture. Guilt showed up. And instead of running toward God, they hid from Him. When God came looking for them—and that alone says so much—He asked a question that reveals so much truth:
“Who told you that?”
Who told you that you should be ashamed? Who told you that hiding was necessary? Who told you that you were no longer safe in My presence?
It wasn’t God.
And I can’t help but wonder how many of us are still answering that same question today. Who told us God doesn’t laugh with us? Who told us that joy isn’t part of walking with Him? Who told us that God sits in heaven disappointed, ready to shake His finger at us every time we miss it?
Because that was never the heart of God in the garden—and it’s not His heart now.
God never intended for shame to be the language of our relationship with Him. He never meant for guilt to be our primary motivator. He created us to walk with Him daily, to experience His goodness, His joy, and the fullness of life that comes from being close to Him.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life….” John 10:10 NLT
The enemy is doing all he can to steal your joy, speak continual lies to you just as he did with Adam and Even, and leave you walking in shame and guilt. But God comes so that we may have a rich and satisfying life!!
That’s why Scripture tells us that God rejoices over us—that He delights in us with joy and even sings over us. This is what active, celebratory love looks like. It’s joy that surrounds us, like a whirlwind, reminding us that we are wanted, welcomed, and deeply loved.
Who loves like that?
God does.
And when we receive that kind of love—when we really let it reshape how we see Him and how we see ourselves—we don’t just feel comforted. We feel strengthened. Because the joy of the Lord doesn’t just make us feel better; it becomes our strength. It fills us from the inside out and draws us back into the kind of relationship God has always wanted with us.
Phew, that’s good!
Remember this: God loves you and He rejoices with you! You do not have to walk in guilt or shame any longer. Those are lies straight from the pit! Exchange those thoughts today and make it a point to daily know that the Lord rejoices over you EVERY SINGLE DAY! And His joy is YOUR STRENGTH!
See you next week….but in the meantime, don’t miss this week’s Heart Talk (launch on Wednesday) - God Laughs With Us! - It’s going to be lit!
Living in the joy of the Lord,
Tracee
I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!!!!! Thank you for the reminder of God's humor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Beth Nelson