Joy Cometh?
Luke 6:20-26 is where we’ll be studying today. Here Jesus contrasts the difference between a blessed life and happiness as the world sees is. What is the difference really? The religious saying “Choose Joy” comes to mind for me and the sting of how many times a well meaning Christian has said that to me in the depth of a trail.
This is rather timely for me. Right now I am consumed with the heart ache of a situation I’m trying to walk through under godly wisdom. For some reason, a relationship between myself and two others is shrouded in tension and unrest. I don’t know why. I don’t know when it began to change. But I know it is there. It is on my mind (prayerfully) so that I can scarcely think of anything else. Mr. H says that most people don’t fret over such things this way.
Maybe it is a weakness?
I dont’ know if it is or if it is not. What I do know is that God made me and He doesn’t make junk. I wonder what would be different about me if I could stand being at odds with people whom I care about? I don’t know that I would be as compassionate or able to feel for others with the depth that I do now. I’m not asking God to remove me from the situation or even the real physical pain of the heart ache that it brings me – but rather that He uses it to turn my heart, and the hearts of the two I care for, towards Him so that we can grow in Him.
However, I don’t think that I am, as v 23 says, leaping with joy in this trial. Do we really claim the joy that is ours, in Him? I’m human. It is hard for me to feel joy in the midst of heart ache. I do feel a sense of joy in knowing that God intends to use this trial for good. I love to think about how my example through this might be part of Mr. H’s salvation journey. I especially rejoice in knowing that I serve a God that moves which means He will not leave me where I am today, saturated in the pain of unrest. So while I am not dancing and leaping for JOY, I am content to know that joy is there. I AM praising Him, I AM worshipping Him and singing – it is through tears but I believe that is okay with God.
There IS a difference between happiness and JOY in the Lord.
It does us no good to put on a smile and fake happiness when we need to mourn. I’d go so far as to say that it is a treasonous refusal to cry out to, and trust God with our hurts and grief. I think it is IN our cry, in our tears, that hope oddly dawns. Hope deferred, or disregarded by not acknowledging it, makes the heart sick (Prov. 13:12). He is close to the broken hearted (Ps. 34:18). He is greater than our hearts (1 John 3:20). I believe that He longs to hear our deepest cry, to hold us when our bodies shake with the weight of the tears. (Sometimes he sends an angel in a friend who will hold you while you cry. Thank you Thara!). He wants our hearts. Jesus came to heal the broken hearted. His desire is for us to have relationship with one another. He hasn’t brought me all this way, heard my prayers for this situation, held my tears, listened to my cries…just to leave me here.
I love it when I read the words in the Bible that say “And the Lord was with him…” It brings tears to my eyes every single time I read those words. So my prayer today as I walk through Luke 6:20-26 is that it will be said of me, said of the two whom I am praying for; “And the Lord was with him/her…”
THAT is JOY
It is not happiness, my tears are real and it really hurts…Knowing that the Lord IS with me. He is with the two that I am praying for restoration of relationship with.
He is with you.
JOY COMETH.
