#572 Finding Joy Part 2c The Joy of the LORD is your Strength: Sending Portions!
“Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
Recap: Another part of the joy of the LORD is sending portions to those who had nothing prepared—sharing our spiritual blessings with one another. We may not know who is in need. Or we may have an awareness of the need of some of our Brethren. But the truth is we are all in need of reviving truth and encouragement. His joy is to encourage His people through one another.
It is our joyful experience to ask the LORD for a verse to claim on behalf of a Brother or Sister, and to share the verse and the thought or quote He leads us to. It is a joyful experience to listen to the inner impulse of the spirit as we are in touch with one of our spiritual family, and to share the scripture or thoughts that are brought to mind. He connects us to Himself and to one another in this process of spirit-led sharing and prayer.
This spirit motivated prayer, which can lead to claiming of scripture and sharing as His spirit leads us is part of “praying in the spirit.” “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:8
As we partake of the fat and drink of the sweet through feeding on the Word of God, we have a portion to share with another. The principle of 1 Corinthians 9:8 is powerful: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” The meaning of sufficiency here is that we will have abundant spiritual or natural resources for the blessing HE chooses for us to share. We take turns being in need and being the one who can bless, and this creates such a beautiful relationship of interdependence and equality! 1 Corinthians 8:12-15!!! Every member of the body has a special blessing to contribute to the other body members! 1 Corinthians 12:7, 12-27
I continue to be blessed by portions sent and timed by the LORD, to strengthen and encourage me along the way. Last week I was challenged to not take criticism personally. I temporarily went into reaction, and then went into reaction over my reaction! (Reactions have everything to do with our ‘self-talk.’) A Dear Sister sent me this portion which applies Psalm 19:14 to our lives, mentioned in the last meditation. (Psalm 19:7-14 reflects part of the joy of the LORD in Nehemiah 8:10, the spiritual eating and drinking— the understanding of His Word and Will and how to go forward to fulfill it—how He helps us to see our falling short and how He helps us to understand the next steps of holiness.)
“Do you ever think about the power of the words you speak to yourself? The words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart [Psalm 7:14] are the stuff of your self-talk…Sometimes these words can by ugly and powerful and simply not true. And, when they are, they damage your soul.
But the good news is that God can redeem all the lies you’ve told yourself and replace them with His truth. He is your strength and the source for your healthy self-talk. Ask Him today to reveal to you if how you speak to yourself is acceptable to Him. If it isn’t, ask Him to be your strength, to change your inner vocabulary, and thank Him for being the God who redeems all things—even destructive self talk.”
“Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
Recap: Another part of the joy of the LORD is sending portions to those who had nothing prepared—sharing our spiritual blessings with one another. We may not know who is in need. Or we may have an awareness of the need of some of our Brethren. But the truth is we are all in need of reviving truth and encouragement. His joy is to encourage His people through one another.
It is our joyful experience to ask the LORD for a verse to claim on behalf of a Brother or Sister, and to share the verse and the thought or quote He leads us to. It is a joyful experience to listen to the inner impulse of the spirit as we are in touch with one of our spiritual family, and to share the scripture or thoughts that are brought to mind. He connects us to Himself and to one another in this process of spirit-led sharing and prayer.
This spirit motivated prayer, which can lead to claiming of scripture and sharing as His spirit leads us is part of “praying in the spirit.” “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:8
As we partake of the fat and drink of the sweet through feeding on the Word of God, we have a portion to share with another. The principle of 1 Corinthians 9:8 is powerful: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” The meaning of sufficiency here is that we will have abundant spiritual or natural resources for the blessing HE chooses for us to share. We take turns being in need and being the one who can bless, and this creates such a beautiful relationship of interdependence and equality! 1 Corinthians 8:12-15!!! Every member of the body has a special blessing to contribute to the other body members! 1 Corinthians 12:7, 12-27
I continue to be blessed by portions sent and timed by the LORD, to strengthen and encourage me along the way. Last week I was challenged to not take criticism personally. I temporarily went into reaction, and then went into reaction over my reaction! (Reactions have everything to do with our ‘self-talk.’) A Dear Sister sent me this portion which applies Psalm 19:14 to our lives, mentioned in the last meditation. (Psalm 19:7-14 reflects part of the joy of the LORD in Nehemiah 8:10, the spiritual eating and drinking— the understanding of His Word and Will and how to go forward to fulfill it—how He helps us to see our falling short and how He helps us to understand the next steps of holiness.)
“Do you ever think about the power of the words you speak to yourself? The words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart [Psalm 7:14] are the stuff of your self-talk…Sometimes these words can by ugly and powerful and simply not true. And, when they are, they damage your soul.
But the good news is that God can redeem all the lies you’ve told yourself and replace them with His truth. He is your strength and the source for your healthy self-talk. Ask Him today to reveal to you if how you speak to yourself is acceptable to Him. If it isn’t, ask Him to be your strength, to change your inner vocabulary, and thank Him for being the God who redeems all things—even destructive self talk.”
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