Joy in the Middle of the Struggle - Your Nightly Prayer - October 1st
Your Nightly Prayer
Audio By Carbonatix
By Greg Grandchamp, Crosswalk.com
Joy in the Middle of the Struggle
Your Nightly Prayer
By Greg Grandchamp
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” - Nehemiah 8:10
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Let’s face it—the struggles are real. This life offers us challenges each and every day—some much worse than others. Whether the issue is the loss of a loved one, a terrible diagnosis, financial struggles, or a betrayal by someone we trusted, this life offers trials and tough times. But through it all, we can find joy in the Lord. Even in hardship, God gives joy as a sustaining force every night.
Of course, it is so easy to say those words, but perhaps not so easy to feel them. We spend a lifetime working hard and striving for happiness, but when we find it, we know we may be only a medical diagnosis or a layoff away from grief.
We know what we should do – but how? How in this world do we find joy in the midst of all of the hardships? How do we find the path through the junkyard of life?
First, let us remember that the joy the Spirit of the Lord gives us is nothing remotely like the joy of the world. I recently heard the joy of the world compared to the ebb and flow of the ocean waves hitting the shoreline – it comes and it goes. The joy of the Spirit, on the other hand, is always there. Always with us. And can never be taken from us. Whatever we are going through in this life, it is temporary. Our happiness here in this world is highly dependent on our momentary and ever-shifting circumstances. Yet our joy in the Lord - driven by the Spirit – is eternal. We can always celebrate what Christ has done for us.
Focusing attention on our circumstances – good or bad – will never bring us lasting joy, and may even prove depressing. But let us remember that we have been promised the presence of the Holy Spirit. We have been promised the joy He will bring – and God never forgets His promises. When we turn our hearts and minds over to Him, to His power and His love, then we can find lasting joy.
That joy may not change our circumstances, but it will change how we feel about them.
Some 400 years before Jesus, Nehemiah wrote that we are not to grieve, telling us, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Later, Peter, James, and Paul reinforced that lesson. Now, we cannot imagine the struggles of these men—yet both had lessons for us about finding joy in the midst of trials.
The first thing James writes after his salutation is, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2-4) Peter expresses that even though we do not see Jesus, we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, despite our trials and struggles – because we receive salvation for our souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9) Paul tells us to “Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Sometimes, the pursuit of joy is a decision we must make. We need to stop wallowing in our misery and hold tightly onto that promise – hold tightly to the gift of joy that is right there. Grab it and don’t let go – it is a lifeline to pull you out of whatever muck and mire you may be in.
We can make the decision to choose joy every single day. Seize joy.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father,
Thank you, thank you for your strength and your joy. Please let me feel your Spirit and the joy that I know is available to me every moment of every day.
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. If you’re a parent, you may have experienced saying no to your children – or letting them suffer in the short term because you know the lessons they’ll learn from it far outweigh their momentary struggles, like learning to tie their shoes or ride a bike.
2. When we are struggling, we might feel as though we are at the end of our rope. But let’s remember that Christ is the knot at the end of that rope.
3. Anyone who does any work in their garden at home knows that to help some plants grow better, they must be pruned. Roses produce more blossoms after pruning. In His lesson on the vine and the branches (John 15), Jesus essentially taught that we, too, will be pruned to produce more fruit. And yet, He then said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. “ (v. 11)
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Aleh Varanishcha
Grandchamp is an author and speaker. His book, “In Pursuit of Truth, A Journey Begins,” is an easy-to-read narrative that offers answers to the most common questions new believers and non-believers have about Jesus Christ (Amazon.) Greg speaks on living out our faith in our daily lives – and on creating true disciples of Christ.
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.
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