Your Joy Is My Reward

Your Joy Is My Reward (song by Candice Barnes, 2016)

I refuse to be discouraged by what my eyes can see
I refuse to be discouraged by what's not happening
I will trust You with my whole heart,
I will trust You, Lord!
I will trust You with my whole heart -
Your joy is my reward!

I refuse to yield to self-pity for how I feel right now
I refuse to yield to self-pity
My feelings cannot boss me around.
I will praise You with my whole heart,
I will praise You, Lord!
I will praise You with my whole heart -
Your joy is my reward!

Creative Process

When discouragement is taken out of the creative process, you are free to practise, mess up and try again in joy, without feeling as though you are the failure. Your mistakes may look hideous to you, but sometimes they are just a few tweaks away from being amazing! Refusing to let discouragement influence your creative process will release increase in creativity and joy! 

Redeemed Will

Beloved, can you trust Me enough to show you Truth and keep you from error? You do not have to be one hundred percent sold out to the teaching of one person or movement in order to truly benefit from aspects of it! No one is completely free from error. Just trust that I can expose the lies to you as you listen to My Spirit and live in My Word. 

It is true that in heaven My Will is done perfectly and heaven is free from sickness, sin and sorrow. But it is equally true that I can use the pain and sickness of this world to shape you and sanctify you. 

As you grow in Me and in revelation of your role as co-heir with Christ, you can also grow in asking in faith for things you need. That is not to say that you should not also accept everything from My hand with joy...as you embrace My provision in every circumstance, you are trusting that I can use this situation to your good, whether it be to teach you persistence and joy in the midst of trials, or seeing miracles released into your life. Both are equally valid and you will not always be able to tell one from the other upfront. Your response can still be the same - yield yourself entirely to Me, and also ask for what you need, simply and in faith. I will show you if and when you need to contend. 

Your will is redeemed, Beloved! You yield in joyful obedience as I yielded to My Father. 

DIS-couragement

Let's talk about discouragement again. Beloved, as I told Joshua to be strong and very courageous, I speak the same to you. I, who showed enormous courage in facing the terrible suffering of the cross, dwell in you!  I AM your courage! Becoming DIS-couraged speaks of being robbed of your courage. This can only happen if you allow the enemy to steal from you. Keep that door locked, barred and guarded - do not listen to a single whisper! The discourager would rob you of the comfort I give.

Breathe Me in deeply and trust My healing and My provision. Let joy rise in you. Celebrate all that I am doing! You are taking ground in Me. We are showing the enemy that sickness is no longer an entry point in your life. We are laughing in the face of the enemy, for what he intended for harm is driving you deeper into victory! Ha ha!! Joy, Beloved! Let's dance on the head of the enemy!! 

A Son's Obedience

Rest into wellness today, Beloved - rest and rejoice, even before you feel well. Sing and declare healing over yourself and your family. Embrace the lovely rest day in My Presence. Refuse to be disappointed or discouraged - just rest in Me and enjoy My Presence. 

You are moving into friendship wtih Me, but you are also My Beloved Child. Just as there is an element of friendship between grown child and parent, yet there is still a parental relationship. As you grow up in Me, there are times I need to discipline you, yet there are also times of genuine sharing heart-to-heart. 

As you grow in revelation of who you are in Me, you will see just how much I love you - your personality, likes, dislikes, preferences, talents, hobbies, pursuits and your will. Yes, I will share secrets with you and allow you to influence Me. We parter together - I gave you your unique personality and I love it! I do not want you to give that up - just to give up all expressions of sin nature that is already dead. That is the pruning of the branch - as you give yourself up to the process, I can activate aspects of your personality that have lain dormant. You can discover whole new personality traits that you never knew you had! This is Me giving you a new name and calling out things I see in you that you cannot see yourself. There would be no space for these aspects to grow if I was not pruning you. 

My obedience to My Father is not a slave's obedience, but a son's obedience, flowing from Love and intimacy. My Father does not threaten Me or intimidate Me into obedience - it gives Me joy to humble Myself and do what He wills. The greater your level of intimacy with Me, the more I can share My reasons behind what I ask of you. In coming to earth, I knew what the Father wanted Me to do...but I also knew why. It was this that enabled Me to suffer immense pain adn torture - for the joy set before Me! I understood why My Father asked this "impossible" task, and yielded Myself to His will out of Love for Him and Love for you! 

As you can see, it's all about Love! Growing in Love for Me, as you spend time soaking in My Word and in My Presence, and gazing on Me throughout the day...this Love will naturally overflow to others. The more you gaze on Me, the less you gaze on yourself. I want to release you into new levels of freedom and power, but this comes with less thinking about yourself, not more! These changes began in earnest as you let Me show you how I see you - perfectly loved and perfectly righteous! The beauty of this new identity is that it is founded entirely upon grace - how I see you, through no goodness or work of your own! Yet it is so much more amazing than you could dream up or believe on your own. As you really believe all I say about you, you are released to live more freely and fruitfully than ever before. Self-promotion is not an issue, as you know you are what you are entirely by God's grace.

 

Contending For Victory

Come enter My rest, Beloved. I long to soothe your aching head and kiss your stinging eyes! I am so proud of you for continuing to stand firm against the sins of thoughts and words - being vigilant about not allowing sneaky uninvited guests such as self-pity, discouragement, doubt and guilt to creep in. This is your place of contending for victory - realising that I already have won and declaring that over your circumstances. You do not do this in your own strength, but in the mighty power of Me in you. 

You know that I love to love on your kids through you too. Keep on gazing on Me until you see them through My eyes. 

The feeling of overwhelm which was so familiar just a few months ago is hardly recognisable to you any more. It thrills My heart when you yield every worried or overwhelmed thought immediately as you sense it trying to sneak in the back door of your mind. It is as you yield your worries to Me that I can cause My peace to radiate out of you. Everywhere you go, you radiate My peace, it shifts atmospheres and touches people around you! 

No more "frazzled Mum looking for sympathy", but an peace-filled Mum extending grace and love. Others can see a change in you! They will ask how you do it - don't hold back in sharing the Truth of Jesus Christ, the Hope of Glory! 

Yield Every Thought To Me

Beloved, you are not ruled by your feelings. Hold on to this Truth when everything in you is crying out to be heard. Refuse to let self-pity, doubt, second guessing, discouragement, confusion, fear or guilt have a say - yield every thought to Me, over and over, as quickly as they bombard you! Rejoice in the peace you have in Me!

Never once did I complain, though I was tempted to sin just as much as any human. Through the Spirit's power, I did not sin in thought or deed or by failing to do something. I want to keep living this Spirit-empowered life through you! As you keep saying "Yes!" to Me, you are saying "No!" to the enemy and to sin.