Scripture: Hebrews 1:8-9 But about the Son he says, ” Your Throne, o God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you will the oil of joy.”

Observation:
What is it that caused Jesus to stand out from the crowd?
JOY
Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy. Now for Jesus to be anointed with joy it means that someone had to anoint him because in their culture you couldn’t anoint yourself. His joy came from God and it was his joy that made him stand out from the crowd it set him above his companions. Jesus is our model, which means joy is what will cause us to stand out from the crowd also. A joy that is given by the Father. It’s supernatural. Our world badly needs to see joy in operation over and over and in a person’s life. Life for many is drudgery under the tyranny of sin trapped in darkness.

It is interesting to note the conditions that Jesus fulfilled to receive this anointing of joy from the Father.
1. He Loved Righteousness,
2. He Hated Wickedness,

Many followers of Christ miss it today not because of their failure to love righteousness, but because of the failure to take serious our tendency to flirt with wickedness. We tolerate things, sinful practices, in our life that shouldn’t be there and the we wonder why there is no joy in our life?

Loving Righteousness + Hating Wickedness = receiving the Anointing with Joy from the Father!!

Application: I need to start getting really serious about any thing, action or thought that leads me to accept, condone or turn a blind eye to sin. I have to start to hate wickedness that infiltrates my life and others. Even the sin of unbelief is wickedness that we often tolerate or make excuses for! No more, I want to see the circuit completed and the current of joy flowing in my life continually as that is what will make me stand out from the crowd as a faithful witness of Christ!

My Prayer: Father help me to recognize quickly when I am starting to tolerate wickedness in any way shape or form. Give me a heart that is quick to repent, turn away and pursue after righteousness. Anoint me with the oil of Joy I pray. AMEN