Day 7: Joy

Right now you may be fearing that you will never again feel joy to its full extent, or you have finally felt the seed of happiness blossoming within you and felt guilty as a result. This is where it's especially important to remember that joy is not defined by how we feel or what we experience, but solely by God’s character and unending faithfulness.

Often in our misery, we simply want out. We want to take the exit ramp off of that dark, painful road as quickly as possible and never look back. But it's in these moments that God strongly desires us to pull Him close. He thoughtfully and deliberately uses our trials to refine us, strengthen our faith, build our trust in Him, make us wiser, and ultimately, bring glory to His kingdom.

Not only can we rejoice because we know that God already has a plan for our trials, but also because we were given full security, transparency, and intimacy in our relationship with Christ. In our darkness, He will always be there because He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and will be the same for the rest of eternity. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Something that has helped me, personally, and still does when I'm feeling weak (also, anyone who knows me personally will know that I just love making lists, no matter the reason!), is making a list of what I'm grateful for. I encourage you today to do just that. I guarantee when you start, it'll be easy to keep going when you remind yourself of the wonderful, gracious blessings God has placed in your life, despite your current sorrow. Rejoice, friend. With Christ, there is always a reason to.