Oil of Joy

Ugandan Children's Choir

 "You love justice and hate evil. 

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,

 pouring out the oil of joy on you

more than on anyone else. 

Ps. 45:7 

Jesus was given joy above any being and he has an abundance of joy to give.  His kingdom is full to overflowing with an abundance of joy and peace.  

He longs to share his joy with his people just as he said to Jerusalem,

"How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me."  (Luke 13:34)

How he longs to bless us.  Jesus is in the business of transforming our lives.  We are very sad creatures indeed without his love and his spirit to lighten, lift and encourage us.  He wants to transform our darkness into light.  And he will do it.

When we are in a state of sadness, depression or anxiety we need his mercy and grace to help us.  We can call out to him for mercy and expect an answer in his time and in his way because he is our helper.  Let's not be like those in Jerusalem who were unwilling.  Let us open our hearts and believe that he will turn our mourning into joy. 

You are amazing, Lord. You are our deliverer.  Make us willing to receive all you have for us. In our times of sadness or despair, we cry out to you for help and mercy.  You are the one who can turn our sad days into dancing days taking off our mourning clothes and clothing us with the oil of gladness.  

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

 because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

 to proclaim freedom for the captives 

and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

 to provide for those who grieve in Zion--

 to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

 the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

 and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. 

Is. 61:1-3

Peace & Joy

Las Noches de Las Luminarias
 Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix

 Because of God’s tender mercy, 

the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

 and to guide us to the path of peace.

Luke 1:78-79 (NLT)

Jesus came to earth with a very specific purpose.  To shine light into the darkness of our lives, to set us free and put our feet on the path of peace. Our lives sit in great darkness and confusion until the light of Christ shines upon us.  When we allow him to shine his light into our lives, he begins to expose those hidden things that keep us in confusion and fear. With his light upon us, he begins to guide us on a new path and into a place of peace.  He brings us out of darkness into his glorious light.

Peace and joy are the gifts God has for us. Those are not just empty words on a Christmas card, but real and tangible gifts from God.  Peace and joy are so often lacking in our lives. How can we find our way to this path of peace? When the light begins to shine upon us, it reveals a door.  When we enter through that door we find that the path that leads to peace and joy opens before us.  That door is called surrender.  As we turn our will and our lives completely over to the care of God and trust all into his hands we begin our journey on the pathway of peace.  When we stop fighting for our own way and surrender to his good, pleasing and perfect will, we begin to experience his blessings.  Since he knows us so well, God's will is always perfectly suited for us.  It is the most joyous and satisfying thing we can experience.  There is nothing scary about it.  When we begin to veer off that path into our own way, we may experience some temporary satisfaction, but our peace and joy will begin to fade.  That's the time to turn our hearts back again to the path of peace.

Lord, open our hearts.  Guide us to the path of peace.  Help us to surrender all that we are to you so that we might experience your gifts of true peace and joy this Christmas season.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, 

but let God transform you into a new person

 by changing the way you think. 

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,

 which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

cathy-meditationsofmyheart.blogspot.com

Harmony

How wonderful and pleasant it is

 when we live together in harmony!

 Psalms 133:1-3 (NLT)

There is something so beautiful, so wonderful when we create an atmosphere of harmony in our interactions with others.  This isn't an easy thing to do with all the stresses and offenses that can assault our relationships.  Learning to live together in harmony is a precious gift which brings blessing and refreshing to our lives. 

Think of an orchestra.  Harmony is created, not by every instrument being alike or playing the same note, but by the instruments being tuned together and playing the sounds they were created to make.  When they all blend together a beautiful symphony is formed.

Each person has a different gift and a different style.  As we accept and honor each other as we are and build each other up with words of kindness, gentleness and respect we help to create an atmosphere of harmony.

Lord, we desire to live together in harmony.  Help us to work through the difficulties and deal with the offenses that make for discord.  Grant us the gift and blessing of harmony in all our relationships.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement,

 help you live in complete harmony with each other.

Romans 15:5 (NLT)

• ---

Stop, Look and Listen

He walks ahead of them, 

and they follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:4 (NLT)

They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. 

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:9-10 (NLT)

God is so gracious to lead us in all our ways.  He is interested in every aspect of our lives, great and small.  He came to give us a rich and satisfying life and desires that our days be filled with blessings, peace and joy.  There are many things in our lives that can rob us of these blessings, things that can steal our peace and our joy. 

Sometimes I don't listen.  I might feel him leading in a certain direction but for whatever reason - either I am not being assertive enough or I’m distracted or I think it won't matter much -  I can get into trouble.  My day becomes too complicated with too many things to do or I simply go in the wrong direction and get robbed of peace.  God being a God of peace is interested in our living an orderly life.  If we try to cram too many things into too little time we can become frustrated, anxious and stretched to the limit.  When we feel stressed because we haven't accomplished everything on our list it is a sign of our control rather than God's.  We can accomplish all he has for us to do if we will allow him to be the Lord of our time. We may need to eliminate unnecessary and draining activities to make room for more fulfilling and satisfying ones.

We can enjoy each moment and accomplish all in a peaceful and orderly manner if we will just listen.  Are we living in his presence in the moment and enjoying what he has given us?  If not, it might be time to stop, look and listen.  STOP what we are doing.  LOOK around at what he has put in front of us.  LISTEN for his voice directing us.  When we stop, look, and listen we open ourselves to experience the full and abundant life he has promised.

I will teach all your children,

 and they will enjoy great peace.

Isaiah 54:13 (NLT)

Meek

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Matt 5:5 (NIV) 

But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

Psalms 37:11 (NIV) 

When we come into a place of meekness, of dependence and trust in God, we become heirs of all good things.  Being an heir is a very special and privileged position.  We often envy heirs because they come into the family riches without having to work for it.  We have a very rich dad and all the family riches are ours.  He lavishes all good things upon his children with great wisdom, not spoiling his children but blessing them in response to their work of faith.  Then the heirs are in a position to take over the family business and spread all those good things around to others. Everything belongs to us.  Because of our trust in him we have no worries or cares because we know he has all the resources and supply to take care of whatever needs we may have.  

The blessing and happiness of this condition is beyond description.  To walk with him in this way is the way of joy and peace.  The meek eventually inherit all things because they have put their trust not in their own ability or strength to earn and build and possess but because they have put their trust in the one who already owns everything and will pass it on to his heirs.  His heirs are those of his family who have also inherited his nature, not the grasping, grabbing ones, but the meek and gentle ones. 

For everything belongs to you— 

whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, 

or the world, or life and death,

 or the present and the future.

 Everything belongs to you,

and you belong to Christ,

 and Christ belongs to God.

1 Cor 3:21-23 (NLT)

Turn

And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Psalms 139:18 (NLT)

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him

 so he can show you his love and compassion.

  Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)

When I wake in the morning, I look, and there I see God waiting for me.  As I turn to him he responds with his loving attention.  He longs to bless me today, so he waits for me to awaken my eye to see and my ear to hear encouragement for the day ahead. 

As the day heats up, I turn toward him.  As noise and confusion swirl around, I take a moment to turn and find him waiting with his gracious gifts of peace and quietness in the midst of chaos. So, he grants strength to deal patiently with everything.

In the evening, when I am overcome with drowsiness, I turn in thankfulness for he has faithfully kept me through the day and I rest secure that he will again be waiting for me when the day dawns anew. 

It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,

 your faithfulness in the evening,

Psalms 92:2 (NLT)

Make Me A Blessing

I will make you into a great nation. 

I will bless you and make you famous, 

and you will be a blessing to others.

Gen 12:2 (NLT)

We have been so blessed by God.  He blesses us to make us a blessing.  I pray every day that God would give me an opportunity to be a blessing to someone, to do some good, to give a smile, a listening ear, time, to look away from myself and look to the needs of another.  Realizing I am well cared for, I can care for another.

Self-centeredness and self-absorption robs us of the blessing of being a blessing.

Lord, help us to slow down and make us aware of opportunities around us to be a blessing so that we might share with the world some of the great love and grace that you have poured out on us.

“I am blessed : I can bless : So this is happiness…I could share the grace, multiply the joy, extend the table of the feast, enlarge the paradise of His presence. I am blessed. I can bless.” 

~ excerpted from One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp on www.aholyexperience.com

8/30/11

Blessings

Karen & Simon's, Nelson, B.C., Canada

 My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5 (NLT)

Recently, I enjoyed a short trip with my son and his wife to visit my daughter and her husband in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.  What a blessing to spend time with the ones I love in such a beautiful setting.

The landscape was all lush and green with tall evergreens packed tightly together. The purple and pink lupine growing along the roadside was a joy to behold.  On our hikes we saw rushing water,  pale green aspens, wild roses and in the midst of the ferns a moose. 

All of this fills me with praise and thankfulness to the one who overflows our lives with blessings.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from the Father.  James 1:17

Best Friends

Every good and perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights

James 1:17 (NIV)

Today I am writing in honor of 2 wonderful pets – Corki & Solis.  How blessed we were to have such great dogs for 14 years a piece.  What gifts to us.

Corki & Solis grew up together.  Corki came first and then Solis as a tiny pup whose legs and tail kept growing until he surpassed Corki who had the stub legs and just a nub of a tail.  Solis’ tail could knock dishes off a coffee table.  He was so friendly and cheerful and so genuinely happy to see you that his whole hind end would wiggle and waggle.

And then there was Corki, smart and in charge, the Little Commander, bossy, cranky, jealous, curling his lips if Solis got more attention.  He liked it quiet. If there was ever too much noise, Corki would just give you a dirty look and leave the room.

They had such fun together play fighting and wrestling in the back yard.  They loved to run and chase up the hill, Corki, the pursuer, nipping the heels as a good corgi should and Solis, the pursued, bobbing and weaving to avoid the little guy.

Lord, thank you for the wonderful gift you gave us in the friendship of Corki and Solis. What joy they brought us.  It is so sad when we lose them. We will miss them.

           

Solis - April 15, 1997 - March 22, 2011

Corki  - May 16, 1996 - March 12, 2010