I would hate to have to endure life without joy and gladness these days without knowing Jesus. Without the Word of God at work in me through all the challenges I’m sure I would have caved by now.
Throughout my life, I’ve had to face what seemed like insurmountable obstacles and what I feel were attacks from the enemy trying to take me out.
Thank God I’m still advancing and moving forward. I’m still not quite sure if I have a special anointing on my life or have learned a few things through the struggles I’ve experienced.
I have learned that when it appears that when life seems to be unraveling, plans have turned to ashes, and the pain and misery of a life’s heart breaks have left me mourning that’s when God will lift me up above these things and sets me on the side of victory.
The Holy Spirit’s anointing of joy and gladness is reserved for God’s people. Isaiah 61:3 says,
“To provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
God has permanently placed before His followers things we will need in times of mourning, calamity, and trouble. His plan is for His people to be anointed with the oil of joy and gladness. However, unless we allow Jesus to anoint us continually with this oil of joy and gladness, life may become little more than a miserable existence.
Proverbs 15:15 in the Amplified Bible tells us,
“All the days of the deponding and afflicted are made evil by anxious thoughts and foreboding, but He who has a glad heart has a continual feast regardless of circumstances.”
When we praise God and allow Him to anoint us with joy and gladness, our life becomes a celebration regardless of our circumstances.
I think many churches over the decades have gotten the religious idea that crying was acceptable, but laughing, shouting for joy, of dancing were not. The truth of the matter is, the Bible had far more to say about rejoicing than it does weeping.
Joy comes from being in the presence of God and receiving His anointing of joy and gladness is deposited in us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Until joy is returned to the church, and we allow the Holy Spirit to anoint us with the oil of joy and gladness even in difficult times in our lives, I don’t think we will be effective in reaching lost hurting people.
When the 120 believers were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, the joy of the Lord was an obvious manifestation. That is why people thought they were drunk.
It was only then that they began to impact those in Jerusalem. Then it continued to spread to others both Jews and Gentiles until eventually the gospel of Jesus was spread throughout the world.
I believe the church’s religious beliefs have dampened the effect of what the Holy Spirit can do.
So, if you’re weighed down with what’s going on around you, why not let the Lord anoint you with the oil of joy and gladness?
From Pity to Praise 