Joy!

Today I read Isaiah 47:10-50:9 and 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4:8. My favorite verses are:

Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

1 Thessalonians 3:8-9 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God.

I love these verses because they are full of joy. We can sing and give thanks to God because of the joy in our lives. But look more closely . . . the joy came after affliction. God had shown mercy and given comfort to his people, and then they were joyful. Even in 1 Thessalonians, it implies that there had been problems by the phrase “if ye stand fast in the Lord”. To stand fast means that you will not be moved or swayed. When problems come, we must cling to the Lord so that we will not be moved away from his presence. If we do so, then we will again have joy. God does not promise that everything will always be good for His children; but he does promise that if we remain faithful, the joy will return. Personally, I have faced a year with trials and heartache; but I have done my best to be faithful to God through it all. And I can testify to His goodness in my life. Today I have the great joy that is spoken of in these verses. God is Good!