Joy Comes in the MorningSample

“There is a sweet joy that comes to us through sorrow.” - Charles Spurgeon 

Have you ever cried so hard and then started laughing uncontrollably? Maybe it’s just me but this has happened a handful of times in my life where my ugly crying/sobbing has turned into belly laughing simply because of a mindset shift and me realizing that the pain I’m currently experiencing won’t last forever. Our pain can feel so personal and the devil wants us to think that we are the only ones going through whatever we’re going through but I can promise you, we are not. How do I know this? Because Jesus said so:

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

One of the reasons Jesus tells us point blank that we will have many troubles and trials is because He wasn’t a stranger to them. He Himself experienced the worst of trials on the cross. His friends abandoned Him, His family questioned Him, and He was constantly being ridiculed, yet He encourages us that if we remain close to Him, we will have peace. So what does that have to do with joy?

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” - James 1:2-3

Troubles and trials can produce joy if we let them. It’s one thing to experience joy just because it’s sunny outside and you’ve got the windows rolled down, but it’s a whole other level of joy when we choose it in the middle of really bad news or in the midst of heartbreak. Without troubles, our endurance can’t grow, and without endurance, our faith will fail. 

Before moving on to day 3, ask the Lord to give you His perspective on your current situation. Ask Him to teach you to “consider it an opportunity for great joy” during this current situation that you’re walking through.