PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Psalm 30
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“You clothed me with joy that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.” (Psalm 30:11-12)
There’s someone at the coffee shop who is very spiritual, but not a Christian.
As a Jesus follower, I should want him to be like me, right?
Thing is, at least outwardly he is a positive, encouraging – even joyful person.
How does my spirituality make me; am I a positive, encouraging – even joyful person?
I am not saying that he does not need to know Jesus.
But I do wonder how well I know Jesus if it does not show in deeper love, joy, peace, etc.
The psalmist describes being CLOTHED with joy, covered from head to toe with it.
This means it is not just filling him, it is showing on him, it is visible to others.
If I know the Lord, and the joy of the Lord is my strength… does my face know?
Who Jesus is, what Jesus has done, how Jesus changes me… this WILL be life-changing.
It does not produce just an outward joy, the kind that anyone can put on for a while.
It produces a deep joy that leads to visible joy, the kind that others see, and will want.
No one needed to TELL the healed lame man to praise the Lord and not be silent (Acts 3:8).
So why do I need to be reminded to praise the Lord and not be silent?
PRAYER
Lord, I want to have deep joy, the kind that will make my friend at the coffee shop notice. Open my eyes to see my reasons for joy; open my mouth to share my reasons for joy!
Desire to seek God’s face – without his affirmation/blessing -his face smiling on me – how do I dare do anything? How can I be a blessing to others? Go’d blessing is more than ‘wind in my sails’ – it is the only hope of being able to accomplish well and to be able to radiate that Joy to others. Can others tell then – does my face show it? It’s not a show – but am I genuinely grateful – then it must show!
Each day anew when I wake up I need to greet the Lord. It is His power I go forward. I need to dress myself with His armour so that I can live for Jesus. Others need to see Christ living in me. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. And so once again a song comes in my heart after this reading and I go forward today in His power – especially verse 3.
1 Peter and John went to pray:
they met a lame man on the way.
He asked for alms and held out his palms,
and this is what Peter did say:
2 “Silver and gold have I none,
but what I have I give to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
3 He went walking and jumping and praising God,
walking and jumping and praising God.
“In the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
V 11-12, You turned my wailing into dancing… that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. And in Gal 5:22 .. the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But many times I quench and grieve the Holy Spirit and these are suppressed inside of me.
O Lord help me so that my life is filled more and more of this fruit of the Spirit and so that my dancing, singing of my heart, and giving thanks cannot be contained but overflow and attract more to want to follow my Jesus.
O Lord my God I am caling to you for help me, heal my spirit.