January 30

You Will Rejoice

"Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." John 16:22

Jesus spoke these words to his disciples because he knew what lay ahead in the next few days. Their Lord and Master would be taken away, wrongly condemned, flogged, ridiculed, and crucified, leaving them in grief. Jesus knew that the grief they would experience would be short-lived, for He would rise again. The joy that they would experience in knowing that Jesus lived could never be taken away. So it is with us, once we realize in our hearts that Jesus died for us, but now LIVES, we have a joy that no one can take away. Joy is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ in those troubles. We never have to walk alone again. There is joy in that thought! He walks with us, encouraging us when we are weary and feel we cannot go on. He carries us in His arms until we are rested and renewed and can continue on in our journey of joy.

Father, thank You for the joy You bring from grief. Thank you, Jesus, that we will never have to walk through grief alone, but that you will always be there at our side to see us through. Help us to see past the grief to the hope of the future. Father, help us to find the joy in this journey of life! Amen