Isaiah 61:10
I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Peels of laughter can be heard quite often around our house. It doesn’t take long to realize that in our family are two extremely cheerful children: Noah and Tirzah. I’m telling you, nothing seems to get these two down. Even when I find myself grumbling, on a frustrated rant about character lessons that “should” already have been learned, or explanations that need to be repeated AGAIN due to lack of listening, I have found that there is something precious about the spirits of these two. They bounce back from struggle so readily! Even when they are working hard to learn the discipline of paying attention and following through when something is expected of them, I have recently been reflecting on their sweet dispositions. They seem to be able to go on with life so quickly, so genuinely, after disappointments and setbacks. Belly laughs have been far from my soul in this recent season as I find myself carrying some heavy burdens. I am sad to admit that even genuine delight has been lacking. The difference between my disposition and theirs has been glaringly obvious lately. I have struggled to find the rejoicing and exulting mentioned here in Isaiah 61.
Here is a lesson for mom, the grown-up. “Indomitable cheerfulness” is a portion that I know is available to all of us as believers. While I realize that the particularly happy personalities of Noah and Tirzah have a lot to do with how they are wired, there is something about the eternal fountain of joy found in the Lord that I know I need more of. It is a wilderness season right now, and I’m asking Abba for more oil in my lamp.
More oil of pressing in when I’m exhausted and have spent everything I have…
more oil of gladness and joy to spill over onto my children’s heads in an anointing of deepest contentment…
more oil of genuine smiles appearing randomly just because He is who He says He is…
more oil of gratitude for His faithfulness and splendor…
more oil of steadfastness as I pray for faithful brothers and sisters who face very difficult struggles right now
I simply know that I must have this oil, as much as I can get, this thing that is required for me to burn brightly. The complete lack of being able to produce it within myself is so clear in life’s tougher times. It is something I cannot manufacture, make up, pretend into existence, or force. But I don’t need to do any of these things!
As Noah and Tirzah grow up, they will prayerfully mature from being simply “happy people” to understanding that joy is something that flows from the river of life in Yeshua. They will be able to see that the much tougher situations they will face when they are older are no match for the joy apportioned to us in Messiah. Though they might access joy a bit more readily than some of us because they naturally see life for its possibilities and wonder, I’m asking myself how I might incorporate right now their ready forgiveness and ability to jump back up, laughing, mere moments after getting knocked down. The “bounce back” dynamic has been difficult for me because it does not come naturally to easily bounce back from anything. I tend to mull over things for far too long. I tend to let burdens pile up on my shoulders, forgetting that I have a Friend who has offered to carry them for me.
When struggle and anxiety press down on me, trying to bury me, I want to spring back up with the carefreeness and trust that a child has. Isn’t that what I am after all? Indomitable cheerfulness need not only be for those whose personalities predispose them to happiness, nor does it need to ignore the reality of the harshness of living in a world that is ripe with longing for Yeshua’s kingdom to be revealed in its fullness. It simply is a trust that I have all I need in Him, and He is always making a way even when I cannot see it.
Abiding in Messiah is the only way I can receive this amazing flow of living water, the oil for my lamp, which is already in me and which bubbles toward the surface easily when I let Him take over. In this season of Elul, I am meditating on the fact that I do not really need to ask for “more” oil, as all I ever could imagine ever needing, wanting, or using is already available to me. It’s already there – promised and provided. In truth, then, I suppose that I should be asking to be “more” opened as a vessel that fills up and pours out from His eternal stores. Only then can I rejoice greatly in the Lord and exult in my God with a carefree, bouncy heart.
Hebron Heights Academy 