Live
with Joy
By Jeannine Sawall
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
Recently, my
“mother-hunger” had grown in its intensity. My mom passed away in a car crash
three and a half years ago, and while the Lord has brought healing and comfort,
there are still those days/weeks when I long to have her on this side of
heaven.
I was having one of
those weeks and was pouring my heart out to the Lord. I let Him know how much I
missed my mom and just didn’t really like it at all that He had decided to take
her home when He had. She was only 60! I had at least another 20-25 years of
plans for us. I was hurting, and desperately needed His comfort and assurance.
I went to bed that
night with tear-stained cheeks and a burdened heart. And our Great God saw me
and met my needs. That night, I had a dream. I dreamt I had received a letter
from my mom in heaven. I can see her handwriting as clear as day. She wrote
that the Lord asked her to write me a note, because He had seen my sorrow and
heard my anguish. She wrote that she was more alive than ever, and that living
with Jesus was more wonderful than any words could describe. One thing that
especially stood out was where she wrote, “Live with joy, Bean! Live with joy” (Bean was my nickname). I woke
that morning with a peace and hope. Especially when, later that day at my Bible
study, one of the ladies gave her personal definition for joy: the assurance of
God’s provision. I was to live with the assurance of God’s provision!
Perhaps today, you are
feeling downcast. Life is hard, and oftentimes the griefs of this world want to
steal our joy. Joy gives us our strength. It helps us laugh through pain. It
brings us hope. Love. Peace.
Perspective. Focus. That’s joy. It reminds us Who we’re living for. It’s not a
happy-go-lucky attitude, but rather “a confidence of the heart’s relationship
to Christ,”1 a response to the fact that God will provide, that He sees and
hears us. And even greater than that: He loves us with an unfathomable love.
It’s the assurance that there is more to come! While we can’t keep the griefs
of everyday from our lives…in the midst of them, we can live with joy!
GOING DEEPER:
1. In your life, what
is stealing your joy? How can you
purposefully turn them over to the Lord?
2. Where in your life
do you need joy? Ask for it.
Further Reading:
1 The Communicator’s
Commentary, ed. Lloyd J. Ogilvie (Waco: Word Books, 1982) 116.
Jeannine is a wife and
mother of four active boys. She works in the property management business.
Jeannine is actively involved in ministry to those walking through grief.
