We’ve been in a sermon series called “This is What Hope Feels Like," exploring the origin of and concept of hope in the Bible. We started off with a sermon on Overflow, and then continued with a sermon on Restoration, and the final installment and the subject of this blog is about joy. I've personally gone through some challenging circumstances in the past couple of years that could have easily stolen my joy, but God has been faithful to remind me of the unshakable source of true joy found in Him.
The Struggle for Joy
I'll be honest - when my son Jude was diagnosed with cancer and started treatment, it rocked my world. I've always considered myself a naturally joyful person, waking up with a positive outlook on life. But suddenly, I felt that joy being attacked and drained away by the heaviness of what we were facing. For the first time, I couldn't just rely on my natural tendency toward happiness. I had to dig deeper and tap into the spiritual fruit of joy that can only come from God Himself.
Finding Joy in the Psalms
The book of Psalms was such an encouragement during this season, particularly Psalm 43. David lays it all out there: The desire for vindication, the feeling of oppression from enemies, even the honest cry of "Why have you rejected me?" He doesn't hold anything back in expressing the rawness of his emotions to God.
But then he takes an unexpected turn. After pouring out his heart, David declares, "Then I will go to the altar of God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God." In the midst of his struggles, he makes a choice to press into the presence of God, the source of his surpassing joy.
The Power of Speaking Life
One of the most profound things I've learned is the importance of speaking life and truth over my own soul. David models this so well, saying, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? ...Put your hope in God." When doubts and heaviness try to overwhelm me, I have to preach truth to myself from God's Word intentionally. Scriptures like "No weapon formed against you will prosper" and "Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy" realign my perspective with the unshakable promises of God.
Cultivating Joyful Habits
While God is the ultimate source of our joy, I think He's given us so many other avenues to experience glimpses of that joy in our daily lives. Things like:
Finding activities you can "win" at, even if it's just a game or hobby that fuels your competitive spirit.
Entering wholeheartedly into times of festivity, celebrations, and quality time with loved ones.
Savoring the simple pleasures of delicious food with friends and family.
Maintaining a spirit of hope and faith, even when circumstances seem bleak.
My son Jude has been a beautiful picture of this. In the middle of chemo treatments, I walked in to find him watching The Office and laughing uncontrollably. In one of the darkest valleys, he had made a choice to cling to joy. That's the kind of attitude I want to embrace!
The Joy Set Before Us
Hebrews 12:2 reminds us that Jesus Himself endured the cross "for the joy set before Him." If anyone had a reason to lose heart, it was Christ on His way to Calvary. Yet the promise of eternal restoration spurred Him onward. The long-term promise of joy outweighed the temporary pain.
Just like Jesus, we have to lift our eyes beyond whatever immediate suffering we face. When bills pile up, relationships strain, or health issues arise, we can still find reasons to hope and rejoice. As Romans 15:13 says, "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."
Closing Thoughts
Friends, I don't want to sugarcoat the reality that life can be incredibly hard sometimes. We wrestle with very real issues of grief, injustice, sickness, and more. But I'm convinced that the answer isn't a perpetually grim outlook. We serve a God who is fundamentally good, loving, and victorious over every struggle we face. He is our source of unfailing joy, even when temporary circumstances would indicate otherwise.
So today, join me in making a conscious choice. Let's activate the joy already available to us through Christ. Let's filter our thoughts and attitudes through the truth of God's Word. And let's embrace all the little pockets where God reveals glimpses of His goodness. Our joy may waver at times, but it can never be ultimately extinguished because our God is the God of hope.
