When the world feels heavy, those times when it is overwhelming: We can lose hope, lose joy, lose God. We can know that God is always near and not be able to feel Him what so ever (note: He never changes, He is always right with us, steady, it is us that changes).
The hallow words of well meaning friends can tell us “God has a reason, or God has this, just pray, or give it to God”. I probably have said those words to friends suffering in some way or another myself.
What I have realized the past week or so, as I battle a depressing spirit, sometimes this world and our circumstances are actually too heavy, too hard to simply brush off that easily. We are not alone in this, I think we all have to wrestle depression, even work through doubts of faith, at times.
I read today in James to consider it Joy when we have trials. It seems I am always in a hard space when I am studying and this is my scripture. Sounds insensitive and bit trite to what one can go through. This scripture in my past, also could make me feel like a failure when I didn’t feel joy. Another expectation I can’t live up to.
Life really is the ups and the downs, the hurts and losses. We all have or will have times we literally don’t know how we are going to get through something. Life can literally be more than we can bear, we can suffer such sorrow that we are forever changed in the process. God doesn’t say, “brush it off”, He doesn’t say “pull yourself up by your boot straps” or “Count your blessings.” James didn’t say BE Joyful. He said consider it.
Our God is a God of compassion. Much better at it than we are as humans. He tells us to bear with one another, encourage. Truth is, even in a house full, even in a loved filled life, we do battle alone, inside our own hearts, our own heads. He loved us and knew we needed Him so much yet the task of being good enough on our own, doing this all on our own, was too big. He gave us His son. His son was that sacrifice of atonement because He loves us that much. His Christ Child, born to die, for all of mankind. Jesus suffered and was tormented too. In the garden he suffered so greatly he sweat blood. He was tormented and wanted his friends to help in this process. But in the end it was He and God alone. The key here is God was there with him. In the torment. In the suffering.
In our times of suffering, He says, “Be still, rest in me, come all you weary and find rest for your weary soul. “ He is arms open and patient with our state of being. He is gentle and loving, full of grace and comfort. Trust in Him that there will be beauty made from these ashes, because he says that.
This is the Joy and the Hope of the Lord.
This amazing God that knew what we would suffer, what our brokenness and hardship would be said, we don’t have to be able to navigate this hard world by ourselves. He says, stop trying to be good enough and stop trying to live up to some perceived expectation. Come to me. Let me heal you. Let me hold you. Let me soothe you with my words, my presence.I will build you back up again. I will never leave you alone. I will never abandon you or reject you. I will never let anything overcome you or take what I meant for you, away from you. Lean in. I will guide you. Trust me.
Trust me with all of it. Your security, your children, your very life. It’s going to be a hard road and you will have a lot of challenges. With or without me, sweet child, but why would you do this alone? Without hope of more?
Joy is this weeks Advent Candle. We may not feel joy of spirit but we can choose to know there is joy in this season. At the end of the day. I know, with all that I am, that Joy does comes in the morning. I may not see it in the present but trust it is there in my future. One day, this world will end, then my Joy will be everlasting. Today, there is nothing more I need to do but rest. He will soothe my weary soul.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5
“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
“You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” Acts 2:28
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered”. Hebrews 5:8
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