Daily In His Love / Weekly Devotions for your Mind and Spirit

Make a Joyful Noise

June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 Inge Schultz

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.”
Psalms 100:1

When was the last time you made a joyful noise unto the Lord? Seriously! Has anyone ever asked this question of you? I have never had anyone ask me this question, so I think it may be a question that is overlooked. Our minds today are on other things and some things are negative and would take us down a different road of irritation and dissatisfaction. I live by an Elementary school and every recess I hear screams of joy when they first run out onto the playground. Remember the holy laughter movement of the Spirit? Have you read the definition from Wikipedia? Wiki states it is “a religious behavior in which individuals spontaneously laugh during church meetings.” I got a good laugh out of that definition, for I know that some churches would frown upon this definition. What about the quotes we see on plaques and fabric that say “Live, Laugh, Love?” Some use that as a reminder that our body needs some good medicine.

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dried the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22

No one wants to have dried up bones, for it is the reference for dying. It is associated with deprivation and death like in the valley of dry bones in Ezekial chapter 37. God asked Ezekiel in chapter 37, verse three, “Can these dry bones live?” The answer is “Yes.” God told Ezekiel to prophesy upon these bones in verse 4 of Ezekiel 37. If you are feeling dry and parched, you may need a refreshing of the Holy Spirit. You can even ask God to give you the spirit of joy in laughter even though some may think you strange to even bother God with such a question.

“Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.”
Psalms 126:2

Let us remember what the Lord hath done. . . He hath done great things. We may need a miracle ourselves and desire to see the Lord work through our trials. If you find yourselves in this situation, then break out with singing and praise to God for He is good, and His mercy is everlasting to all generation. He has turned our captivity into joy. So, no matter what situation you are in, joy is just around the corner when we lift up our voices in praise to the Lord. Let our mouth be filled with laughter and our tongue filled with singing. When you are dry and parched, then it is time to go to the word of God and get revived in the Spirit, for the word is a living word of hope. This is what Peter said in 1st Peter chapter one, verse three.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
1 Peter 1:3

It is a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, hallelujah. This is something to shout about and get it down into our heart. Look at verse 5, “who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Just remember that your trial of faith is much more precious than gold to our Lord. Let us see with the eyes of faith forever, for it is a living hope and not a dead hope. That is why the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth. The word is a living word, and it is not dead. Being filled in the Spirit is a part of our inheritance that God has given us, and we are kept by it. May your soul be lifted up in the joy of the spirit of the Lord. You need not be ashamed of the joy of laughter. Even Smith Wigglesworth knew that people who were receiving the Holy Spirit for the first time would break out in laughter before speaking in tongues. God knows what each individual needs and He works it through us by His spirit.

Know ye that the Lord, he is God; it is he who hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
Psalms 100:3

It is God who created us, and we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Therefore, we will enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. When you have your prayer time, have you ever tried to enter His courts with Praise? If you have not, then do so. . .for you will find your spirit in the presence of the Lord and you will find yourself standing on holy ground. Like the story of Moses in Acts chapter 7 and when you get down to verse 51 where it states, “do not resist the Holy Spirit as they did.” We too, are not to resist the Holy Spirit of God, for it was after we believed, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. That promise is the down payment of our inheritance, which is the Holy Spirit. This is until the redemption of the purchase possession unto the praise of His glory [see Ephesians 1:14]. What did Jesus say in the Gospel of John in chapter 12?

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.“
John 12:32

Oh! Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye people of the Lands and He will draw us close to Him. Sing praises to the Holy one for He is our healer and salvation. For He has led us out of captivity from Satan’s hand into the ever-loving hand of God. “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; and God” [see Ephesians 2:14].

It is through the Holy Spirit that we can enter into His courts with praise. We start in the flesh and end up in the Spirit. I have witness this in many services and healing crusades. God will draw us close to us when we lift up our praise unto him. No matter what situation you are in right now this moment, lift up your voice in praise to God and be blessed by the Spirit of God. Don’t forget to ask and receive what you are asking for such as laughter and joy. Rejoice in the Lord!

Fellowship, Joy

Everlasting Joy

September 7, 2021March 11, 2022 Inge Schultz

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15:11

Can we as Christians have everlasting “Joy” in our life every day? Is there plenty of joy in your life? Being glad and having happiness for most of us is an emotional response that only occurs occasionally. Jesus is speaking about a joy that is lasting because it is His joy that is within our heart, and it is a fullness of joy. Hebrew words often depend on the context in which they are used, so one must study to understand what the full meaning conveys in the written text. Hebrew words are conveyed by themselves as concrete instead of abstract, so it is important to see the context of a whole sentence in which the word is placed. The Hebrew word for joy is “simcha,” and means to have exceedingly, gladness, and joyfulness. In John chapter 15, the word “Joy” can be associated with well-being in that it is through Christ that we can have an everlasting amount of joy. In John chapter 15, Jesus is talking about a fullness of everlasting joy that comes from knowing him. It is based upon fellowship, and this is the key to living in the vine.

John chapter 15 is all about abiding in the vine. Jesus exclaims that we are the branches and He himself is the vine.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:5

It is all about keeping Jesus foremost in our life. Nothing should separate us from Jesus or take over in importance in our everyday life. Our life is the life of Jesus living through us through the Holy Spirit. In fact, “Joy” is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit [see Galatians 5:22]. If you read the whole chapter of John 15, Jesus explains about bearing fruit as a result of abiding in the vine. So, having a fullness or everlasting joy comes from abiding in the vine [who is Jesus] to where you will bear much fruit. This is the act of getting to know someone personally. This is a continuous process of growth. If you are not growing, then you are dying from not receiving nourishment from the source of the vine. Something is blocking the source of nourishment from the vine.

It is like a plant I have and no matter what treatment I give it, such as misting, fertilizer, sunlight, and water, the plant leaves are dying and dropping off. The plant has disease that is causing this condition. Any kind of blockage that an individual is withholding from the Lord will cause disease to start and decay. If we confess all to Jesus nothing is withheld. Jesus assures us that if we abide in him and in his words, we can ask him anything, and it shall be done [see John 15:7]. Let us remember that love is also in the fruit of the Spirit. To have love and joy means to abide in the vine where the source of nourishment is. There is always a process of growth in the Christian walk. Like the disciples of Jesus, they grow from being a servant to becoming friends to be a brother in the Lord. This is a progression of growth and Jesus said that this growth will bear much fruit that the Father will be glorified [see John 15:8].

“Every day has enough trouble of its own., therefore; we pray every day and seek the word of God to keep the communication open for growth to occur. This is our sanctification which means to become holy. A person can only be Holy if they are grafted into the vine, and this is what the Apostle Paul referenced in Romans 11:16. “If the root is Holy, so are the branches.” The fellowship we have is through Christ and through Christ we are able to love one another. In 1 John chapter one verses 3 and 4, we have the same reference about our joy being full. John exclaims that our fellowship is with the Father, and with his son, Jesus Christ. That is why the Word of life was written, or the Word of God. The conclusion is that we are to stay in the vine which is the source of light so we can have fellowship with Jesus and each other. How miraculous this is as it takes on the evidence of our well-being and our feelings of having everlasting joy. Our wellbeing comes from Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Placing our faith in Jesus gives us fellowship. Faith opens the door for the miracles to happen. You could say it this way that Jesus who is our faith opens the door for miracles to happen. This brings joy into our heart that will remain in us forever until the coming of our Lord.

May His joy forever live within your heart and soul. This week is also very special for it is the Jewish New Year. The Jewish lunar calendar year now is 5782. It is also the 7th sabbath year of rest. What this means is that it is a time of getting to know our Lord better by hearing his voice. That our peace comes from the word of God. The 7th sabbath year of rest means that all debts are to be forgiven and distribution of food is to be distribute widely. There is to be no working of the land for food. The land is resting for the year in that animals may eat of what is left growing along with the people. This sabbatical year is known as Shemitah.

Listen to the song titled “Abide in My Love,” taken from John chapter 15.

Ask and Receive, Joy

Ask and receive that your joy may be full . . .

June 1, 2021February 6, 2022 Inge Schultz

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:24

Ask and receive, that your joy may be full. Do you have joy in your heart? The meaning for joy is gladness and delight. Joy is tied to a person, place, or thing. While happiness is short term, joy is said to be long lasting. Joy is also said to be a natural outcome of your faith. As a Christian, your joy should be tied to Jesus. In this passage of John chapter 16 verse 24, it is the word of Jesus speaking to his disciples, but if you have believed in who Jesus is, He is speaking to you too. This is because we are all one in the body of the Lord. Joy is selfless since it is tied to the person of Jesus. As the disciples had a relationship with Jesus, those who believe should also have a relationship with the Lord. That relationship is based on what we know about Jesus and the Father. That relationship is carried through the Holy Spirit through prayer. Believing opens the door to understanding who we are in Christ. Jesus expresses that we are one with the Father and Jesus [see John 17:21-22]. We have been baptized into one body through the Spirit [see 1 Corinthians 12:13].

When a child comes to a father for something such as asking for a new toy, what will the father say? This depends on the situation and circumstances of the family environment. The child’s role within the family and financial ability to purchase the new toy will depend on the answer. With compassion and understanding of the sensitivity of the child’s feelings, a discussion will take place as to why the child needs this toy. How does this relate to asking our Heavenly Father in Jesus name to receive what we pray for so that our joy may be full? Parents tend to spoil a child by giving them what they want, but in real life we do not always get what we want. As a parent we desire our children to always ask even though we may not always be able to give what is being asked for. There comes a time when we know what to ask for because we know we will receive what we ask. This is knowing the will of the giver. In the case of our Heavenly Father, we ask so the Son of God may be glorified through what is being ask such as healing for the body. We ask the Father for restoration to eternal glory, for safety from the world or the evil one, and that unity in the church may prevail. We know that it is in the will of God to answer these petitions.

We ask because we cannot change the situation without divine intervention. It is through divine intervention that our prayers are answered to the glory of God. This will bring joy within our heart and this joy becomes a long-lasting joy through a relationship of prayer in asking and receiving. Our prayers will always be answered when we ask with a sincere heart. Even if we do not know God’s will, we should still ask as a child. The answer will come if we are patience. Do not stop asking in prayer what you need including joy. Joy is part of the Fruits of the Spirit [see Galatians 5:22], so ask God for joy to come up within your heart. Ask God for the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that you may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified [Isaiah 61:3].

Let us rejoice with Joy Unspeakable and full of glory [see 1Peter 1:8] for answered prayer, receiving the end of our faith, and for salvation for our souls. Many times, I have asked God to send someone to help me and give me understanding and my prayer has always been answered. In fact, I have been amazed how my prayer has been answered through unforeseen divine intervention. This has bought me great joy to my soul that I want to sing that song titled, “Joy Unspeakable.” I have sung this song at railway stations in the city of Perth in Australia not knowing the real meaning of what the song meant. I have not heard it sung for quite a while, but I found on YouTube a joyous rendition for you to enjoy.