Isaiah 61 is the call to the live the exchanged life. Jesus came up out of the wilderness in Luke 4 and declared this at the beginning of His ministry. He commissioned us to be a redeemed people who shine because we are healed in our hearts to carry His presence. In verse three of this chapter, we read that we are to have the “oil of joy for mourning.” Beloved, it’s a season of stepping into a greater anointing of joy. We acknowledge the radical suffering going on world-wide, but without joy, we will not have strength to overcome and be part of His healing team! Instead we will wither and die. There is a Spirit joy that is violent. It is overwhelming and completely not of this world. It’s the heavenly joy of Jesus and it’s time for the church to be anointed again with this joy. Joy will heal you. Joy will fill you. Joy will make you feel well and able to do all that He has called you to. Sorrow may last for a night but His joy is coming!! It’s time to plan for a joyful response as we walk through the calamity and suffering of this world. We are not able to control the next thing that goes on. You can’t stop the trauma, the loss, the pain, the grief, and suffering. It’s all around us. But we can control how we respond to the tribulations that are upon us. He is calling us up. He is asking us to pray and be anointed afresh with new joy and new hope and new life. Don’t despair. Pray. Don’t give up. Pray. Don’t look around you and try and figure it all out. Instead pray and keep on praying and joy will be our outcome. We are a people marked by Heaven. And Heaven is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. I pray you hand over your pain today and let the new joy touch you and fill you!