10 Days of Unspeakable JoySample

With the Joy Set Before You

How do you get through hard moments in life? The discouraging times? The painful times? With the joy set before you. Can you imagine how Jesus felt going to the cross? He even asked God, Dad, please if there is any other way to save these people, please allow me to do that, but “not my will but yours” (Luke 22:42). The Bible says, “looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 ASV). Since Jesus is our ultimate example, we should look to His life for advice. He endured the cross. He endured the pain, the embarrassment, and the shame. He was imagining the future of joy and what would come from this moment. He was thinking of you and me, and your children, and everyone who would believe in Him. He was thinking of the joy of people being saved, set free, and people experiencing the love of God like He did, and does. Most importantly, He was focused on the joy that obedience to God brings. In my life, I think about running. There are many days I don’t feel like running, but I know if I want to complete my goal of running a marathon, I must do it. My mind is not focused on the day-to-day discipline of running. My mind is not focused on the warmness I feel in my bed on a cool Saturday morning, where I could sleep in if I wanted. Instead, my mind is focused on the joy of what it will feel like to cross that finish line.

Application time: Ask yourself, in life, where can I shift my focus away from the hardships associated with the process of discipline to the joy of the result and attaining my goal? Focus on the joy it can bring you. You will find yourself in joy during the process.