Only goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for length of days. Psalm 23:6.
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5.
Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. John 16:22.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
Sometimes sadness will engulf your soul. It can come from a variety of sources, but there are times you cannot pinpoint exactly what is causing it. You are not alone. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and I am faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation I will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13. Jesus experienced it too. Remember? Jesus cried out to Me, “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” John 12:27. For you do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with your weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as you are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15. He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to Me, to make propitiation for your sins. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18.
When David felt a sadness coming on, he asked himself, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?” Psalm 42:5. But his soul could not give him an answer, and neither can yours, so he told his sorry soul what to do. “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Now he was headed in the right direction, seeking the help of My presence. For in My presence there is fullness of joy, the delights at My right hand forever. I will bring you to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Isaiah 56:7. My Kingdom, My house, is a place of righteousness, peace, and JOY in the Holy Spirit. And there is the key, the Holy Spirit. Filled with Him you cannot help but be filled with JOY. My joy in you until your joy overflows. John 15:11. When David sinned against Me with Bathsheba, what did he pray? “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me, restore to me the joy of your Salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:11-12. The joy of My Yeshuah, Jesus, given to you to save you and sustain you. And if you but knew My gift, you would ask Him for a drink, and He will give you the living water that will leap up to become a fountain in you, a fountain of joy, unto everlasting life. Unto length of days. The gift of the Holy Spirit.
David knew that if he could just get in My presence and remain there, he would find all joy and peace in believing. He sang, “Only goodness and lovingkindness follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for length of days (now and forever).” Psalm 23:6. And that finishes Psalm 23. Remember we have been journeying to your freedom with the good Shepherd leading you in the way. Abide in My love and you will have joy.
In My House, in My dwelling place, there is joy, pure joy—joy unspeakable filled with glory! David sang, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:8-9.
What is that river that flows to you from My throne, the river of the water of life? It is the life-giving Holy Spirit whereby I pour My love into your heart. And love gives you joy. People in love are happy. Nothing seems too hard to do for and with the beloved. Jacob worked to wed Rachel for seven years and it seemed as nothing to him because he was so in love with her. And I am love. Fall in love with Me. Rivers of living waters are flowing into you and filling your heart till the overflow pours out of you to light your life and to cover the earth with the knowledge of My glory as the waters cover the sea. But something could be stopping the flow into you. Maybe the two olive trees by you cannot pour oil into your lamp. Are you blocking it with a grumbling, crying, groaning mentality? That is what Hannah did for years until suddenly faith came and she was no more sad. And then her dreams came true. But not till she was able to draw water with joy from the springs of Salvation. 1 Samuel 1:18-20.
My Son knew you would have periods of sorrow where I seemed to be far away. But I am never far from you, for you who believe, I am as close as your heart. And I will never forget you, you are attached to Me. But what did Jesus encourage you with when you would face these times? My Word, of course, for I send My Word to heal you and deliver you from ALL your destructions but let Me show you His Word for you now. For He only spoke My Words and did My works. You would be wise to do the same if you want joy and power.
This conversation took place at the Passover supper the night before He died for you. Jesus told His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” John 16:20-24.
In those times of grief and sadness I have a Word for you. It will pass, it is the birth pangs of an awesome dream about to be birthed into your life. You have been waiting for it and it seems it is gone and will never come to pass. You have lost hope. But Elizabeth and Zachariah had given up their dream of a son, it seemed to late, but with Me it is never too late. They gave birth to their dream. But Zachariah had given up hope. But Elizabeth had not and her faith carried it through.
Get filled with My Holy Spirit and you will have the joy you seek. And it will come upon you and surprise you. Begin to sing, to shout, to praise. You are on the verge of the birth of a new time in your life, newness of life. When you are sad you do not feel like it, you just want to shed tears, but that will not help you. Let Me dry all your tears while you sing praise. I will. With joy you shall draw water from the springs of Salvation. You have to draw out the water of the Holy Spirit to fill your well until there is no more room and it overflows and you can only do this acting like you have joy. But an awesome thing happens, as you force yourself to be joyful with praise suddenly you will have joy, hilarious joy. That is what My prophet Habakkuk did. He tells you that he had fear in his belly and was just awaiting the day of disaster that he was envisioning in his trials, but then suddenly he wrote a song for the choir director and this turned his fear to joy! “Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation (Yeshuah). The Lord LORD (Adonai YHWH) is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19. And who was this for? “For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.”
Tap into the gusher! There is a fountain and you can tap into it within. Just ask Jesus for a drink. You are not engulfed in sorrow; you are just thirsty. You need the water of the Holy Spirit. And you need to eat a good meal of My Word.
I tell you to worship in spirit and in truth. I seek those who worship like this to share My thoughts and secrets with them. It means you worship in faith (spirit) and in My Word (truth). Sing unto Me a new song in My house. 1 Chronicles 25.
Please note that the journey of Psalm 23 with your good Shepherd is a journey from the declaration of no lack to a resting place of abundance, then out on paths of righteousness, and then a trial hits, but it is only a shadow in the sunlight valley and as you cling to your good Shepherd He carries you through your lost and wasted places, years, and times, into a place of abundance in the presence of your enemies, and then to a place where there is only goodness and love in you that lands you in My house forever.
And now I will share the truth with you that you should be realizing even now. You who believe in Jesus have become My house and a temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16. Deep within you, is the entrance to My secret place, you can dwell in My House in the cloud of glory to which you have access by the one Spirit, for the Kingdom is now within you. Not in a finite space but an infinite wide and open place accessed in spirit and truth. Why dwell in the outer court when you can spend the day with Me in the Holy of Holies? And there I make you joyful in My house of prayer. You. You really do not need to go very far to find My house.
I love you. Do you not know that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit? This should change your outlook and your life. Now ask your soul, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?” And then tell your soul the answer, “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Psalm 42:5. And sing with David the close of our Shepherd Psalm, “Only goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for length of days.” Psalm 23:6. And the good news is you are already there, seated with Jesus Christ in heavenly places receiving every spiritual blessing in the heavens.