Pleasance: What does it mean?

First of all

I believe that God is the one who came up with the name of this blog. “Pleasance” is not a word typically used nowadays, but it’s such a beautiful word with such a depth of meaning. I’ll get to the definition in a moment but first I’d like to go to the book of John in the Bible.

In John chapter thirteen, Jesus is talking with His disciples directly after the Last Supper. He had washed their feet, announced His coming betrayal, and told of Simon Peter’s impending denial. You can imagine the situation: tense, confused, worried. But Jesus didn’t leave them there. He reminded His disciples of His reason, His purpose, for coming to this broken, sinful world. A world that is about to cause Him unfathomable suffering and an awful death.

Hebrews chapter twelve, verse two tells us,” …For the joy set out for Him He endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” The joy … What joy? What on earth would be so amazing, so hopeful, so wonderous, that the Lord of All Creation, the Alpha and Omega, would endure a cross and yet disregard the shame that was associated with such a death?

“Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, that where I am you may be too. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:1-7

Do you see? Jesus knew, and still knows, He is the only way to the Father. If He didn’t go through with the Father’s plan, humanity would be lost, separated from their Creator and Purpose, for eternity. He knew that without Him, there would be no way. He went through the agony, the wounding, the heartache, because He counted us as a joy. And now He has gone ahead of us to prepare a dwelling place for those who choose the way, the truth, the life, in Christ Jesus.

Now for the meaning of pleasance…

Oxford Languages

pleas·ance

/ˈplez(ə)ns/

noun

  1. a secluded enclosure or part of a garden, especially one attached to a large house.

Have you ever been to a garden, thoughtfully curated and cared for? It’s so peaceful and cool and restful, you wish you could just stay there all day. You can sense, somehow, this is how life is meant to be and it sets an ache inside. We all have those moments, and we all have ways to “cope” with that pain.

But God doesn’t want us to “cope”, to just get through another day. He wants us to live! To truly be what He knows we are meant to be, what He created us for! I can’t tell you what that looks like for you personally, but the principles for such a life are all over God’s Word. The following verses are God calling to His people when they had strayed from Him and His ways. Which, if we are honest, is us. It’s not about making it to heaven, to avoid hell. We are made for and called by the Creator of the Universe and the atom to know Him intimately.

  • “Come children! Listen to me! I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life? Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech! Turn away from evil and do what is right! Strive for peace and promote it!”‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭
  • You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully. You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday.” ‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭
  • “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.” Micah 6:8

“OK. But how does all this play into the name of this blog?”

Well, it’s where the hope lies, the basis for life, and this blog’s name or content won’t make much sense without understanding the reason behind it all. As followers of Christ, we are given a hope that one day we will be with Him in glory, where evil and sin is cast down and Christ reigns in joy, light, and goodness. But just as vital, we can live in this world walking in righteousness, purpose, victory, and fulfillment by the Spirit of God. We can have a Blessed Pleasance within our hearts, through whatever storms, hardships, and sorrows we face on earth, knowing and believing in faith that our Hope, our Identity, our Peace is in heaven where we can be forever secure. Jesus said so!

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble and suffering, but take courage I have conquered the world.”

JOhn 16:33

I am keenly aware of how easy it is to drift away from this sure footing in Jesus and get lost in world and culture, where “love” and toleration is viewed as THE “truth”, knowledge and wit is praised over wisdom, and godliness is seen as old fashioned. I don’t want this blog to be about what we “shouldn’t or can’t do” as followers of Christ, my desire is that you find encouragement to long for and seek Christ more and more!

 May grace and peace be lavished on you as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.

2 peter 1:2-8

Shalom.

-Liz S

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