No one will take your joy away from you

Joy can not be taken away

What a promise, joy that can not be taken away!  Who would not want that?  It seems simple.  Jesus tells his disciples that the joy of seeing him again will wipe away all memory of their suffering, just as a woman in labor “forgets” the pain when she rejoices in the birth of her child.

But any parent will tell you, it is not a bed of roses once the baby is born.  Raising children is a mixture of late night feedings and watching your baby’s first step.  It is tending to a skinned knee and being bowled over by an enthusiastic hub.  But no matter what challenges you face, the love is always there.

Nothing changes Jesus’ promise of Joy

The ebb and flow of our emotions does not change Jesus’ promise of joy.  Do we face up and downs?  Of course!  But the joy that Jesus gives does not have to rise and fall with our circumstances.  It is not a fleeting thrill, but a steady stream running in the back of our minds, a stream that flows from the unshakable truth of Jesus’ resurrection.  We know he is risen.  We know he has overcome sin and death.  We know that he has prepared a place for us in heaven.  With truths like these, how can we not feel at least a glimmer of hope and joy, even in our darkest moments?

Are you having a good day today?  Great!  Thank Jesus for sustaining you.  Are you going through something difficult?  Then it is time to proclaim what you know to be true.  Tell Jesus you trust him.  Tell him that you believe there is a place in heaven with your name on it.  Declare that he is bigger than what you are going through.  Then watch your anxiety begin to give way.

Your Joy can deepen your faith

Jesus can deepen your faith every time you turn to him, both in sorrow and happiness.  He can strengthen your foundation and give you a sense of his own joy and trust in God.  You may even find yourself less subject to moodiness or better able to weather a stormy patch in life.  That is the kind of joy that Jesus wants to give you!

word among us