Distinction

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It surprises you.  Have you ever considered the distinction most desirable? What would most set you apart if you had it?  Intelligence, Money?  If you had anything that separated you from the competition, from everyone else, what would it be? Strength? Cunning?  Wisdom might be a frontrunner – God said above all else, get wisdom.  Obedience is the best skill to have, but what would you most desire to distinguish you?  Here’s what God thinks.  Psalms 45:7-8 – You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.  Wow, that’s not the first thing I would have thought of.  A definite distinction.  Strength alone won’t do it, the wise take the city of the strong.  Money comes and goes.  The rich, intelligent, wise and strong often lack joy.  Ecclesiastes 1:18 - Solomon said, with much wisdom comes much sorrow.  The greatest billionaires of the past – many had miserable personal lives. The intelligence of the intelligent God frustrates.  Nothing can succeed against God so what does He mark as distinction? What distinction does He want for you?  Joy.  It’s an anointing – that means you don’t produce it - it’s given to you.  It’s not happiness – that’s situational.  Happiness is a spark, have you noticed how long sparks last?  Not long, they fizzle out.  Joy is a pilot light, and a flame that doesn’t go out.  Joy is deep.  Joy – the passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of something good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune, the gratification of desire or some good possessed, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exultation; exhilaration of spirits.   Joy is the opposite of discouragement or despair, or having lost your way.  Joy comes from the inside, and it is situationless.  If you have it, the rest doesn’t matter, nothing else needed.  God is bringing good, He promised.  I’m in the center of His will, standing in faith – Joy is a distinction – that God has for you.  So how do you get it?  Without Jesus the author of Joy, you can’t get it.  Situational happiness is the best you can hope for.  Joy is that missing piece, that if you had everything else, but lacked joy, it would be meaningless.  So how do you get it?  Commit your life to Jesus – so your eternity in heaven is secure.  You can’t have joy without that, only fear of judgment and eternal punishment. Not unfair, that’s just gravity.  Sin and God cannot coexist – He’s Holy.  Just like joy without God cannot exist.  In His presence is fullness of joy, He fills you with joy in His presence.  The humble get filled with joy, those who love righteousness and hate wickedness get joy, obeyers get joy, even trials can be joy if you count them as it, faithfulness brings joy.  It’s an anointing from God, and a gift of the Holy Spirit – so be filled with the Holy Spirit, so you know what Joy is.  Asking and receiving bring joy – so ask according to His will, so He hears you and you have what you asked.  The God of hope fills you with Joy.  Finishing your course – the plan that God has for your life – brings joy.  So first - Get His plans for you today!  Start there, and He’ll bring joy.   He keeps you from falling, without fault, and with great joy.  God’s Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  The righteous can shout with joy.  Giving brings joy.  God’s victories bring joy, His Word is joy – it makes your heart rejoice.  He brings joy in the morning, He lets you hear joy and gladness – so don’t listen to the other stuff, and certainly don’t speak it.  Salvation brings joy.  If you are pleasing to God, He gives you wisdom, knowledge and joy.  God gives you wisdom to give an appropriate response, a wise answer – and gives you joy with it.  God turns your sorrow into joy, He increases your joy, He provides for your every need, so you can eat and drink with a joyful heart.  God gives wealth – beyond just money, and keeps you occupied in the joy of your heart.  God redeemed you, He crowns your head with joy, joy overtakes you.  His presence brings joy, and His joy is your strength.  Believing in Him, brings inexpressible and glorious joy.  Joy is a choice, you can take it again, you can rejoice.  That part is up to you – to use what He gave you.  Know what He has promised, and your joy will be full.  And if you walk in truth – you bring joy to God and others.   God has joy for you.  Praying that you will today for Meditate on the Word of your PRISM time, that you will review the PRISM Topic – Joy.  It’s the anointing God has for you.  A distinction He has reserved for you.  If you have it.  It will separate you from the rest, and draw people to you, so you can point them to Him! Do you have joy?  Is it your distinction, Is it your anointing?  Is it something that you may have forgotten to walk in?  God wants to bring you back – with Joy! 
 
Love you all,
dad