“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:9
Religion has painted various impressions in the minds of people about Jesus that are about as far from the truth as anything can be. Religion paints Him as a man of sorrows. And it is true that Isaiah 53:3 says that He was “…a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” But that was only during the last few hours of His life as His road turned toward the Cross. The above scripture though, gives us an entirely different image. It’s one of joy, a joy that surpasses the joy of any other! Think about it; would multitudes follow someone who was sorrowful, sad, grieving and full of pain? Of course not! But they would follow someone who was filled with gladness and joy, anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil! (Acts 10:38)
Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows. The word gladness is a Greek word that means Exultation and Exceeding Joy! What does that mean? What is exceeding Joy? I believe it’s a joy that exceeds all other joys! It is eternal in nature and exceeds anything that would work to oppose or restrict it! That’s because the Joy of the Lord and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit work together. In other words, Exceeding Joy and the anointing are inextricably connected. Together they form abilities that are stronger than any opposing force, whether they be spiritual or natural forces! Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…the joy of the LORD is your strength!” In other words, exceeding joy is a joy that carries with it more strength than we’ll ever need! This is why the enemy works so hard to steal our joy and to get us into traps of offense, bitterness, discouragement, and confusion!
Next time you’re in a tough spot, remember who Jesus is – and where He is! He is everything He says He is – a Present Help in time of need (Ps. 46:1)! He is your Redeemer, your Healer, your Shepherd, your Provider, your Friend, your Banner of Victory, your Peace, your Advocate, your Savior… and much more. And where is He?
He is with you always (Matthew 28:20)!
That works for me! That’s truly Fresh Oil in my tank! That infuses me with more joy than I need, and gets me in the flow of the anointing to where I know I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me! How about you?
With Love,
Pastor Tom
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