At the Graham Cooke conference recently, we were taught the value of an ‘Inheritance word.’ Graham described this as a passage of scripture that the Lord gave you to reflect on and live by.

The passage that has been given to me over many years now is Isaiah 61. Over the weekend of the conference a lady I don’t know very well walked up to me and gave it to me again. I found this very confirming. Then Graham chose to use this passage to preach on to explain what an inheritance word means. (Hello!)

A few years ago I wrote a song based on part of this passage. It is called “Mary’s song” and you can hear it by going to the Media section of my site.

The chorus goes like this:

“He will give you a crown instead of ashes
He will give you a gown instead of rags
He will make you holy and whole
Now He says to you
Come, let Me restore your soul.”

One of the vital words here is the word INSTEAD. God is all about the word INSTEAD. He wants to give us something in place of, or instead of something we already have.

So, if we are grieving, God wants to give us the oil of joy. If we are heavy and burdened, He wants to give us a garment of praise. If we are downcast, Heaven wants to lift us up.

One of the key phrases for me in this passage is in the Amplified version. Call me Joyce if you will, but this is my new favourite version of the Bible. This is why: It explains and makes louder God’s truths to me. Example:

Verse 1 says…
“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because He has anointed and qualified me to preach the gospel of good tidings to the meek the poor and the afflicted.”

The key word for me here is QUALIFIED. I do not qualify myself. I do not have the capacity, knowledge, ability, competence, character, gifting, experience, power, strength, perseverance, demeanour, reputation, necessary discipline or holiness to anoint myself. But I don’t need to.
God is in charge of that. He anoints us. He qualifies us. When God qualifies us for the race, we will run well. When God qualifies us to preach, we will speak well.

Praise God today that He has an INSTEAD word for you. Ask Him now what you need to let go of in order to hold what He has for you. And then praise Him that He has qualified you to take that forward for Him!