How Can Suffering Be The Path To Exuberant Joy?
The Bible speaks a lot about Joy—true joy that is found in Christ (Romans 5:11), a joy that will never leave us (Isaiah 35:10) and joy overflowing (John 16: 22, 24). We want that!! Yet, what we sometimes don’t realize is that often it is found through suffering, sorrow and many trials. Our human hearts are born filled with sin. We want to seek happiness and to do it “our way”. Even for those of us who truly seek after Christ as our joy, we fight against the truth that many times our journey to understanding and experiencing real Joy in Christ leads us through great trials, pain and suffering.
As a young Christian, I searched to follow Jesus. Little did I know that my journey would lead me through failure, divorce, abuse, cancer, illness, widowhood, single motherhood, financial disaster, pains, sorrows, loneliness, and so many surgeries! Every step of the journey, God was using to transform my heart. He had to deal with my pride, my selfish desires, my self-exaltation, and my desire to prove to Him that I was worthy of the salvation He had so freely died to give me. I could not truly understand that my Joy was in Him alone; until He swept away all the cobwebs hidden in the deep recesses of my heart. He continues to do that every single day of my life. He continues to reveal those dark areas so that they might be cleansed. As He does that, my view of everything changes. He is able to then fill those corners with a vision of His Glory. As I am able to see His Glory clearer, my heart enlarges to be filled with His Love and His Joy. It is an ever upward and transforming change.
JESUS POINTS TO A ROAD THROUGH SORROW TO JOY
As they are walking down the road, Jesus wants His apostles to realize that He must go away. He needs them to know that as He dies on the cross, He is preparing the only pathway to their joy. It will be through great sorrow, confusion, and even despair that they will find their abounding joy. The Holy Spirit will come to be their guide. They will be able to see the resurrected, victorious Christ who has defeated the Prince of this world. In Christ they will be made whole.
JOHN 16: 5-24 (TLB)
5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me; and none of you seems interested in the purpose of my going; none wonders why.[b]6 Instead you are only filled with sorrow. 7 But the fact of the matter is that it is best for you that I go away, for if I don’t, the Comforter won’t come. If I do, he will—for I will send him to you. 8 “And when he has come he will convince the world of its sin, and of the availability of God’s goodness, and of deliverance from judgment.[c]9 The world’s sin is unbelief in me;10 there is righteousness available because I go to the Father and you shall see me no more;11 there is deliverance from judgment because the prince of this world has already been judged.12 “Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t understand it now. 13 When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, he shall guide you into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ideas, but will be passing on to you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He shall praise me and bring me great honor by showing you my glory. 15 All the Father’s glory is mine; this is what I mean when I say that he will show you my glory.16 “In just a little while I will be gone, and you will see me no more; but just a little while after that, and you will see me again!”17-18 “Whatever is he saying?” some of his disciples asked. “What is this about ‘going to the Father’? We don’t know what he means.”19 Jesus realized they wanted to ask him so he said,“Are you asking yourselves what I mean? 20 The world will greatly rejoice over what is going to happen to me, and you will weep. But your weeping shall suddenly be turned to wonderful joy when you see me again.[d] 21 It will be the same joy as that of a woman in labor when her child is born—her anguish gives place to rapturous joy and the pain is forgotten. 22 You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and then you will rejoice; and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything, for you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will give you what you ask for because you use my name.24 You haven’t tried this before, but begin now.[e] Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.”
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Dear Christian Pilgrim, I do not know what you are facing today; but, this I DO KNOW. [bctt tweet=”God’s plan for you is to “prosper your heart with His joy.” He delights in you. He loves you.”] and for that reason, He wants to give you His best.[bctt tweet=”He wants to fill your thirsty, parched souls with rivers of joy abounding from His love. “]
“4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.“5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35).
THEREFORE, WHATEVER YOU MAY BE FACING TODAY-TAKE HEART AND REMEMBER THIS:
I Peter 4: 12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
I want to share with you today this video by Joni Eareckson Tada-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVXJ8GyLgt0
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2015
Living Bible (TLB)The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.