Church of the Nazarene
Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV
“a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair”
"spirit of despair"
-That Hebrew term for spirit is "rûaḥ" and gives the sense of something having descended on us in torment.
-As opposed to mourning, which is event-driven, the “spirit of despair” tends to “move in” and stay with a person in the form of fear, anxiety, chronic sadness.
"garment of praise"
-The Hebrew word here is like something wrapped around us. God Himself puts it on us to wear throughout our day.
-Our God wants to give you praise even in your despair.
Praise is God’s antidote for despair.
Psalms 40:1-3 NIV
Psalms 103:1-5 NIV
Psalms 42:11 NIV
Psalms 119:164 NIV
When we praise God, there is renewal happening:
-renewal of our focus: praise takes the focus off of us, and puts it back on the Lord.
-renewal of our mind: the voice of despair is hopeless and overwhelming, but when we praise we are actually allowing our thoughts to be reformatted.
-renewal of our time: what if praise was so important that we plan our day around it?
Other Scriptures for Study/Reflection
-Hebrews 13:15
-Psalm 71:8
-Isaiah 25:1
-Psalm 43:5
-Psalm 147:17