joy

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

“And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3

These are a few of my favorite verses when it comes to seeking joy in the Lord through our trials. Let’s break down each of these verses.

Philippians 4

This verse is not an option, it’s  a command. When we take it as a command it allows us to hold on to the promise that God is in control, He will never leave His spot of being in control, unless we take the situation into our own hands, which most of the time is what we do. We become impatient and need to have our issues resolved as soon as possible. But the second we take a step back and realize that the Lord is up to something, that joy will be at the forefront of your situation.

Nehemiah 8

If you ask the Lord for anything, He will supply it (Philippians 4:19). Whether it be joy, faith, patience, self-control, you name it, the Lord will show up for you in that area. God is always up to a great work. As the last verse we looked at calls us to rejoice always, while submitting to that, God already has the details of your situation worked out. Honestly, He’s had the situation worked out since the moment you crossed His mind and had your entire story written. The Lord will supply your needs if you allow Him, come before Him and He will walk you through it no matter what you’re facing, every step of the way.

James 1

James is my all-time favorite book of the bible for so many reasons. It’s short & sweet, and very straight forward. Verse two clearly says “when you meet trials,” not if, but when. We are not promised anything. I’ve been told that everything works out good in my life because I have the Lord, which is really the total opposite. I have had my fair share of trials, and when I share about the Lord there’s a 100% chance what I’m sharing came out of a deep moment of disbelief or some kind of situation that I thought was the end of the world. We are not promised a perfect life, God sent His own son to die on a cross, what makes us think He isn’t going to have us face some tough stuff. Through our trials we are guaranteed to have His presence with us (Matthew 28:20). Even when we don’t feel it, He really is always working on our behalf to bring Him glory. Invite Him into your situation and accept His comfort He offers through His spirit and His word.

“Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” Psalm 34:5

I end with this verse to encourage you that having joy in your trials is a faithful response. If we accept our trials with the joy of knowing the Lord is up to something instead of taking them on with unbelief, we will produce patience instead of being discouraged. If we took a moment and asked the Lord what He’s up to opposed to letting our minds wander thinking the absolute worst of the situation, our trust would grow, and we would realize that He really does have a plan and purpose behind everything we go through.

7-10-21