i want the joy of the Lord to come down, i want the joy of the Lord to fall down, i want the joy of the Lord in my life
i want the joy of the Lord to lift me ... to change me... in my life...
...and it's time we started DANCING over all these graves
and it's time we give you , o my God, the highest praise
it's time to lift our voice; we're gonna beg for the blessing to fall...
and the cool part:
...and it's time we started DANCING OVER ALL THIS JUNK!
graves = junk.... things that bring death is just the trash of sin and distraction (idols) in our lives and satan will do anything to convince us to think on our circumstances, our selves and miss the whole point:
we MUST RELY on BELIEVE in DEPEND on
JESUS
for EVERYTHING!
I want the JOY of the LORD to change me and move me, not the happiness of cool THINGS, not because things are going "my way" to drive me and me what lifts my spirit. I want Jesus to do that. (Now of course there are millions of ways He can do this and you can recognize it's from Him) But is He not in all things?? Give Him the glory and credit!
And if He is in all things, what about the bad that happens to His children? I think He's in those as well. Have you read Job? ("consider my servant Job...") You are not a slave to your stuff... it doesn't have to control you. People do not have power over you- you are controlled by the Spirit of the Living God who moves in and through you!
Proverbs 20
30Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.
Proverbs 21
1The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
The Spirit of God is a river of Life inside of you!
The Spirit of God is purifying and life changing. Live in Him. He is reality. Just a moment in His presence makes all other things seem so small. And we carry His presence with us always- it's just a matter of acknowledging it.
Junk is meant to be stomped on, danced over, and lived above.
Who wants to wallow around in it? You and I don't have to do that , you know!
Is that not why we enjoy worship so much? We escape the junk- We may even forget about it for awhile. Because in His presence is the fullness of joy. It's not the worship that does it in and of itself. It's HIM.
In HIS PRESENCE is the fullness of joy. And He is always present. We just have to choose to live there! Seated in Christ at the right hand of the Father. At rest. Rest and peace for the soul is found only in the finished work of Christ at the Cross- it's done.
And that's victory. True victory for this life and the one to come.
"...What is needed, then, is to see God in everything, and to receive everything directly from His hands, with no intervention of second causes (such as other human beings). And it is just to this that we must be brought, before we can know an abiding experience of entire abandonment and perfect trust. Our abandonment must be to God, not to man, and our trust must be in Him,not in any arm of flesh, or we shall fail at the first trial" (Hannah whitall smith)
Not only is there joy in His presence but there is power... Power to live by faith alone and to declare that He is better and I'd rather have Him than anything here. Believing this frees us to accept all things that happen as things from Father meant for good because HE is good.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, (have you felt your world fall apart??) and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled; (aren't there plenty of storms to go around??) though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisesome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall by thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day,nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday...(Psalm 46)
Is He not powerful? Is He not in control? Does He not love you dangerously and passionately?
I believe He does. Just ask Him. Everything that comes to you is an opportunity to dive in to the treasure of Jesus that awaits you.
Don't let your mind deceive you. Don't try to outsmart Him- you can't. Logic distracts but faith rescues and restores and transforms you in your mind who you already are in spirit: a new creation for the glory of an indescribable God.
