The picture shows a branch with ripe olives.
Olive represents earthly and heavenly joy in the Bible.
Olive oil means for us the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
He gives birth in us to a glorified joy of salvation.
A memory
Once, in the late 1980s, I went to a home prayer meeting with my friend Taisto when I lived in Gothenburg. It was a snowy winter and when we went through the forest there, he suggested that we wrestle in a thick snowdrift. We did so and rolled down a snow mound about 20 m high. Our clothes were after that covered in snow.
When the evening came, he said very worried that his big key bunch must have fallen in the snow and now he can't get to his apartment in Stockholm at all. His landlord was away and he had any place to go to for the night. It was outside about -10 *C (14 *F) cold and Stockholm was already then dangerous for a lonely person at night.
He was depressed and worried, because the keys to his home in Helsinki were also included in that key bunch. So the situation was very difficult. It occurred to me that I too have had similar and even worse situations in my life, but humble and confident prayer has always helped. Sometimes help has come immediately.
He was depressed and worried, because the keys to his home in Helsinki were also included in that key bunch. So the situation was very difficult. It occurred to me that I too have had similar and even worse situations in my life, but humble and confident prayer has always helped. Sometimes help has come immediately.
I was already taking him by car to the Railway Station and I felt a deep pity for him. He also couldn't stay the night with me in Gothenburg, because he had to take part in the next morning's course "accounting and budgeting" ordered by his employer. That lecture was necessary before the exam.
I told him, "Now is the time to pray!" Steering the car with my left hand on the steering wheel, I raised my right hand and prayed, "Our dear heavenly Father, I don't want my dear believing brother to have to spend the night in Stockholm in this kind of cold. Therefore, I am asking: 'Send your angel right now to pick up that bunch of keys from the snow pile in the forest and put it in Taisto's pocket! In the name of Adonai Yeshua. Thank you! Amen.'"
Right after the prayer, Taisto exclaimed: "Oh heaven! Hey Lefa, that bunch of keys appeared in my pocket." He showed it to me. I saw tears of joy in his eyes. He did repeate over and over that a huge miracle happened! It was really a big miracle, because before getting into the car, he had carefully examined his clothes and bag, and the key bunch was not found.
He currently lives in northern Sweden and I live here in southern Finland. When he calls me, he often reminds me of that miracle and says that he will never forget it! I confess that I had already forgotten it, but when he reminded me, the incident clearly came back to my mind. Adonai Yeshua is doing great miracles even today! He is the Adonai of great miracles! HalleluYah!
Joy is the fruit of the Spirit
When we read the list of the fruits of the Spirit, joy is mentioned as the second one, and it is very pleasant of these fruits Gal. 5:22-24 (Acc. to G. Lamsa from the Aramaic)
>>22 But the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, self-control; there is no law against these. 24 And those who belong to HaMashiach have controlled their weaknesses and passions.<<
I will quote two passages related to joy, one from the OT and one from the NT.
From the OT Isa. 61:1-3 (Adonai Yeshua referred to this very passage: Luke 4:17-21)
>>1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Yehowah is upon me, because He has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners, 2 to announce the year when the Yehowah will show his favor, the day when our Elohim will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn,
3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Yehowah to reveal his splendor.<<
From the NT Luke 15:8-10
>>8 "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of Adonai's angels over one sinner who repents."<<
From the NT Luke 15:8-10
>>8 "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of Adonai's angels over one sinner who repents."<<
Songs suitable for the topic
Vinesong - Psalm 100
Shouts of Joy
Great Is The Lord
Yeshua | In English | Hebrew | Portuguese
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