Finding Joy in the Joyless

Do you often find yourself feeling overwhelmed by all you have on your plate? Do you ever ask God why not just give you one hard thing at a time versus everything hitting at once? Do you ever long to find joy in the joyless?

I will be honest that I asked The Lord these questions just this week. I asked them on a morning that started before I had time to completely wake up and dragged me full force into the morning light. It gave a surprising twist to the whole concept of a “deer in the headlights look.”  

Later I sat in the aftermath of the day; my heart longed for comfort and some much-needed answers. A comforting and wisdom that I have only been able to find within the pages of my worn-out Bible. I found myself digging into the life of Apostle Paul, which I have found to be a must-read for anyone feeling like God has somehow singled them out personally for all the hard stuff in life.  

If you look deeply at the life of Paul, you find a man that never backed down. A man who would step up and step out “for such a time as this” the same as Esther years before.

2 Corinthians 11:22-29 (The Message) describes the many adversities this man faced this way:

“I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. ‘ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. ‘ve been shipwrecked three times and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. n hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. ‘ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. ‘ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. nd that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. hen someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. hen someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.”

But despite all he endured,  Paul said the most amazing thing in Acts 20:24 (KJV), “But none of these things move me, neither count my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

Did hardships defeat Paul? Quite the contrary. They just fueled Paul to do even more to spread the good news about Jesus. They set his heart and very soul ablaze to combat this thing called sin that follows us around so close most days we can feel its breath on the back of our necks. 

The enemy would like us to believe that everything we go through in our lives is because we have somehow escaped the caring eye of a most loving Heavenly Father. Perhaps we need to take a closer look. Maybe it is because we have caught the deceitful eye of an adversary instead. An adversary that is hell-bent on stopping the work that God has started in us. 

It was said of Paul in (Acts 26:32), who was bound in prison chains getting ready to sail into the storm of his life, that “He might have been set free if he had not appealed unto Ceasar.”

If Paul had only expounded on the Roman law he knew like the back of his hand in his own defense; he would no doubt have convinced them to set him free. But instead, Paul chose to use the platform opportunity before him to give his testimony and tell them about Jesus. This man who had tasted the goodness of God refused to back down even if it would cost him his life.

Paul suffered many things because he was a light in the darkness. So perhaps we should expect no different than to suffer some things as well. 

But this is not a reason to despair but to look at all the hard things we face as good news instead. Why?…

Brother Paul finished his course with JOY! 

✨The kind of joy that is unspeakable.   Peter 1:8

✨The kind that fuels us with strength. Nehemiah 8:10

✨The kind that fills us to overflowing with hope. Romans 15:13

The same kind of joy is available to us as well. Yes, Brother Paul suffered in this life, but he finished his course with great JOY! 

And sisters, so shall we. 

We too can find Joy in the Joyless.

So hang in there. It gets better father on, and heaven awaits. 

*Be sure and follow the link to an additional post about our Brother Paul entitled Remember My Chains: In the Field with Apostle Paul. https://ruth216girl.com/remember-my-chains-in-the-field-with-apostle-paul/

See you in the field, 

Susan 

Dear Heavenly Father,  

We thank you that you give us Joy in the joyless.  You promise us incredible peace and comfort through the Holy Spirit and your Word. You will be our strength helping us overcome not simply survive.  We are your daughters and you have equipped us in every situation we face.  Help us stand firm and never back down like Brother Paul.  You do see us, Lord, and stand ready in our defense.  In Jesus Name. Amen.