JOY OVER ALL
Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47; John 16:20-23
At Corinth Christ assured Paul in a vision one night saying “Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you. So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.” With this in mind, Paul preached more intently.
In the gospel, Christ assured his followers that their sorrow at his departure is momentary, sooner they will rejoice. Life is a compartment of opposites; but Christ turns our sorrow into joy by giving us eternal perspective that enables us to endure suffering for the sake of His Kingdom. Your joy is a blessed assurance, Jesus never fails.
Being happy requires favorable circumstances, which are ephemeral. Joy, on the other hand, endures. It is not chased away by difficulty. The author of Lamentations explains how happiness vanishes when trouble appears: “My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is”(Lamentations 3:17).
But the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives us great and lasting joy, even when we face affliction: “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part”(2 Cor.8:1-2). We need the Holy Spirit!
Let us pray
Father, thank you for the gift of life, we praise you for all your mighty deeds, give us grace to overcome every danger. Fill our hearts with your lasting joy and peace. Amen.
