HAPPY JOYOUS AND FREE

We’ve all had far too much experience of how life can be challenging at times.  Whether it is personal challenges, family dysfunction, difficulties at work, issues in the community or world-wide problems, there are many things that can feel like a burden.

How then can God promise us joy in the middle of it all?   Listen to God’s perspective found in these words:

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. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

James 1:2-4

Wow!  When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  That’s a real test of faith isn’t it?  Why does God say we can?  Because in time we will see how our endurance has developed and how we’ve come to new helpful skills and understandings.  It’s not something we see at the beginning of the process but it is certainly there if we will journey with God through trouble.

I remember early days of trying to play the guitar and how sore the tips of my fingers were from pressing on the strings.  But, in time, I was able to play music and have had the joy of that all my life.  Later on as I tried to learn how to play new things (like bar chords) I had to put the same lessons into practice that I had at the beginning because the sounds coming from the guitar initially were horrid and the finger I was using as the bar was sore all the way up the side where I was trying to put the pressure in order to make the music. 

If we seek God during our times of trouble and seek to put His solutions into action, He will take us by the hand and lead us safely forward on a safe path.  The struggle will quiet down.  Feelings will change.  Joy will come when we realize that, together with God, we’ve faced and overcome a challenge.

Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.  You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalm 16:1; 11

Thank You Heavenly Father for opportunities to learn and grow and to experience the joy that comes from accomplishing something.  In life it’s true that we often stumble and fall when we are facing challenges but thankfully, You are there to lift us up and rejoice over us.  As we wholeheartedly seek to do life with You, You are committed to leading us into a life that is happy, joyous, and free.

So once again today God, help us to walk in the light of Your love and not matter what troubles we face, to consider the experience as an opportunity for great joy.  We’d like an easier softer way but that just doesn’t produce anything worth having.   Steady us in times of struggle and help us to just take one more step forward today. Amen