Something happened a few weeks ago that I haven’t stopped thinking about. Something rather unexpected, and well outside the box of my normal experience. I had just finished speaking at my church, when a woman approached me and asked if she could prophecy over me. Now what you need to understand is that in our church denomination, a prophetic word is a bit like a snowless winter in Minnesota. It happens, just not all that often. So of course, I said yes. Which led to this sister laying a gentle hand on me and prayerfully seeking a word from the Spirit. Or more precisely, a word picture.
Hopefully it’s okay that I’m sharing this. I’ve never seen any kind of warning in Scripture about keeping prophecy a secret… like it says about giving or fasting. Plus, I think the Spirit knows me well enough to know I typically work things out in writing. More often than not, right here, with you. So, at the risk of oversharing, I’m going to attempt to describe this word-picture-prophecy, along with a few thoughts about what it stirs in me.
It went something like this, in this order. As she prayed, the woman saw me standing next to a fence. There were flowers all around me. Lots of flowers. A garden maybe. And there was JOY. My husband was there, too. The sun was coming up, and it was brilliant; everything was filled with light. And—she ended by repeating this—there was SO MUCH JOY.
That was it. The flowers and the garden and the sun and my husband—and JOY. Like an Eden blessing, this Spirit promise.
Ever since that Sunday I’ve been thinking a lot about joy. I can’t help it. It’s like when you have something really wonderful in the back of your mind and out of the blue you’ll just remember, and it’s sheer delight. Like the perfect gift you’re saving for a friend, and you can’t wait to give it. Or finding out about a baby coming. Or being in love. That’s how it’s been with this joy thing. It lingers there in the back of my mind, and then all of a sudden I remember… I GET JOY!!
What I’d be really curious to know is if others are having these joy experiences. And if (just maybe) the Spirit is leading his people in a sort of joy revival. Which would be pretty awesome, considering the state of our world right now.
Jesus’ good friend and disciple, Peter, wrote about joy in one of his letters to the Church:
You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:6-9 CSB).
It’s like this. Even in suffering… even in trials… even when the world seems to be falling apart… knowing Jesus fills his people with
Inexpressible
Glorious
JOY!!
Our world has its share of troubles, and then some. I do not mean to make light of this. The news is full of wars and hardship and natural disasters. Closer to home we face sickness and disappointment. Bodies wearing out. Financial burdens. Jesus told his disciples, “You will have suffering in this world.” He never said following Him would lead to a pain-free life.
And yet. Right here in the thick of all of it. Jesus is our JOY.
My dear brothers and sisters… I don’t think this prophetic word is only for me. This this is for all of us. No matter what we’re facing. No matter how the next election turns out, or what new crisis is on the horizon. We can always be Garden People, so to speak. We are Spirit trees bearing His fruit. Even though we do not see Him now, we believe and we’re filled with all that’s good and joyful. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is our inheritance. Our holy deposit. It is our guarantee. And this fruit does not stop producing when life gets hard. Instead, the fruit of His love, joy, peace, and all the rest… is what defines us. All of us, whose roots are planted deeply in Jesus.
This prophetic picture lingers in the back of my mind. A Garden of Joy. And I can’t stop thinking about it.
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