…to bestow upon them a crown of beauty instead of ashes the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair or heaviness Isaiah 61:3
The amplified puts it beautifully ‘the garment of expressive praise instead of heavy, burdened and failing spirit’
What is interesting that this is a promise directly relating to the coming of Jesus? Part of learning to be a follow of Jesus is to learn how to expressively praise Him. Sometimes Jesus allows heaviness to come to teach us to praise Him. One thing I have learnt is that you can’t do that with your mouth shut. It begins by opening your mouth bringing your will and feelings under his Lordship and begin to praise, shout, declare. He’s teaching us warfare and what it means to be a warrior for Him. It’s like putting a garment on. The opposite of despair heaviness, despondency, discouragement. etc. Read the psalms and you see David shouting singing, declaring who God is in the midst of despair at times. He knew how to strengthen himself in the Lord The question is do you and I.
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