FEASTING ON JOY
A joyfulH8056 heart makes a cheerfulH3190 countenance, but sorrow of the heart crushes the
spirit. . . All the days of the oppressed are bad, but a cheerfulH2896 heart has a continual
feast.
Proverbs 15:13 & 15
A joy-filled, cheerful heart never hungers and is always nourished. The Lord blesses those who have an appetite for righteousness and promises their hunger will be satisfied (Matthew 5:6). There are moments of being overwhelmed in this life. When they occur, we need to seek shelter in the Rock of our salvation who renews our joy.
Psalm 61:1-5 Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.
In the journey of my literal pruning, one of the most overwhelming times was when the nurse hit the red button on the wall and called out “Code Blue!” I (Susan) awoke in ICU with a ventilator tube down my throat. Unable to communicate the smallest need or want frustrated me countless times! Even using a “communication board” was nearly impossible because my arm was so weak and tired. Besides that, the letters on the board were not in the best configuration. Spelling each word of a sentence was cumbersome and exacerbating. Susie became pretty good at guessing a word after about three letters which helped a bit. Praise God, I could completely share my aggravations with the Lord because He could translate my thoughts.
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
Susie says that even in that situation, I communicated to her the need to share our story of God’s love with the hospital staff. I would motion toward the staff member entering the room and then to Susie and myself. She understood this to mean that she was to share the testimony of God’s grace, love, and power to use me as a minister and to explain how He had brought the two of us together to be as close as sisters. The joy of the Lord would overcome my frustration and allow me to be His mouthpiece even when I couldn’t use my mouth!
Have you partaken of the feast of joy available to you by trusting the Lord Jesus?
Father, we thank You that even when we do not know how to pray, Your Holy Spirit intercedes for us. We thank You that even in the most difficult situations, You help us to experience Your peace and joy!
Remember, you can always run to the Rock. Listen to Whitney Houston singing Dottie Rambo’s song, “I Go to the Rock”.