In John 15:11, Jesus told His followers, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Jesus desired to prepare His followers for the distresses and suffering they would soon experience, yet preparation wasn’t His goal—joy was.

Jesus teaches us that we can live joyfully in the midst of trial, uncertainty, sorrow, even persecution, if we think rightly. If we aren’t careful to monitor our thoughts or fill our minds with the truths of Scripture, we will not find the joy that Jesus desires us to have.

Our faith is strengthened and built up when we reflect upon the Lord, His character, and His life-changing Word—and don’t we need it! Someone commented that “2020” will become synonymous with “crazy.” I agree! Our world is seriously “2020” right now! Never could we have predicted the events that have unfolded in these last months—from the lockdowns to the riots and all the in-between. If we aren’t immersing ourselves in the Word of God, we will flounder in the midst of these unfamiliar, bewildering, and discouraging times.

Right now, as the whole world experiences the tucked away training that takes place in “mom life” living, God is building something deeper and longer lasting. Psalm 16:5-6 forms the foundation for a contented spirit in any chicken coop.

Dear believer, you may not be a friend of the world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15), but is it possible that you stalk it? Are you secretly enamored by its allurements? Do you find your thoughts more focused on its ways than God’s?

As believers, we live where the bald truth of a number can feel more real than the promises of God and the life of faith we are supposed to live. So, how do we counteract the fearful power of those numbers that sap our strength and place weights upon our faith?

Living in the light of the Lord’s countenance is just another way of saying that we live close enough to see His face—and conversely that He sees us. The idea is captured really well in Aaron’s blessing of the sons of Israel in Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.” The idea of living in light of the Lord’s countenance carries with it His blessing. It also carries with it a sense of accountability. It’s basically like living in His throne room—and that’s where the accountability comes in. We’re called to live differently in the throne room so that when His face shines upon us in holiness we’re not ashamed.

He never failed us. Not once. Not once in 3 ½ years of joblessness; not once in 3 ½ years of waiting; not once in 3 ½ years of testing did God fail us. His Word has been the bedrock of our faith. 

God frustrates our plans and nullifies our counsel when our plans don’t match His plans. The counsel of the nations can be nullified, but God’s counsel stands forever. The plans of the peoples can be frustrated, but God’s plans, the plans of His heart, stand from generation to generation.

Somehow my thoughts about newlyweds made their way into my prayer time one morning. I was praying about some different troubles and what concerned me more than anything was my response to them. Was I responding with a sweetness of spirit that is so endearing of a newlywed or was I responding with an old married, nag type of response to the Lord’s dealings with me? Oh my.

I was eating lunch on a layover in the Denver airport when I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation between two men traveling together. Their somewhat loud, though innocuous, conversation centered along the lines of business, until a young woman walked past dressed in tights/leggings. One man was completely derailed in his animated business conversation. I heard a sharp intake of breath, and then he said, “We need to thank whoever the guy was who created those tights things the girls wear. Man….", he said with a sigh of appreciation. The other man knew instantly what he was talking about and echoed similar sentiments. It was silent for a few moments while those men ogled that girl as she made her way through the airport.

Have you ever started the day cheerfully, full of good intentions, and by mid-morning you’re in a puddle, pouring your heart out to the Lord in frustration over your sad turn of events? Have you ever said to yourself, “What happened? I started the day well; I spent time with the Lord; I even got up early to do so, but something went wrong. How did this happen?” Galatians 5:7 reads, “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” Ahhh, what a question! Taking the time to answer that question will help us the next time we find ourselves wondering, "How did I end up here?"

God cannot be sovereign in creation and yet impotent concerning the circumstances of our lives. He is all the way, completely sovereign and powerful over every detail in the universe. As one preacher said, “There are no maverick molecules.”

God doesn’t want us to live in fear of bad news or to create trouble in our minds that hasn’t even transpired; that’s why He explains in the Bible how not to fear evil tidings. Psalm 112:7 gives us a picture of what this would look like in our lives, “He will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” There’s no escaping the connection between not giving in to fear and worry and trusting the Lord.

Some days you just need to know that Jesus cares. Maybe today is that day for you. If so, I think you’ll be encouraged as we take a look at the compassion and sensitivity Jesus showed when Mary and Martha were grieving over the death of their brother Lazarus. I know this story has frequently bolstered my heart.

An idea for your prayer time: Using Scriptures about God’s Word to bolster your faith as you pray for friends, family, and life situations.

O, tried and tempest-tossed one, hear these words, “The Lord will not reject forever.” Think upon the reality of those words. Your present circumstances will not last forever. Even if they last the rest of your days on this earth, they will not last forever. For each believer “forever” holds special import. Forever means life with Jesus. Forever means seeing His dear face. Forever means no more sin, no more sorrow, no more pain. Ah, let us think on forever.

I’ve read Acts many times over the years, yet in all the times I’ve read about Paul’s perilous voyage to Rome, which eventually ended in shipwreck on the island of Malta, I’d never really noticed the soul-calming wisdom of verse 25 until recently. What were Paul’s words? “Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.” Paul and all those aboard the Rome-bound ship grew weary and despairing when the storm failed to abate. There’s something about the relentlessness of a long-term storm that tests us in ways we never knew we needed. The winds have blown for so long that we abandon hope of ever being rescued (Acts 27:20). We find it’s difficult to get out of bed on some mornings. I know about storms like that, which is why Paul’s words in Acts 27:25 ministered to my heart so much. Keep up your courage. Believe God. Everything will turn out just as He intends.

Recently I was reading in Acts 22 where Paul powerfully recounts how he came to faith in Jesus Christ as he encountered the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. There the Lord asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” That question stopped Paul in his tracks. And then I wondered, “What question would Jesus put to me today?” I could just imagine it, Lisa, Lisa, why are you ­­­­­­­­­­­(fill-in-the-blank)? That wasn't too hard for me to do. “Lisa, why are you being so faint-hearted? Lisa, why aren’t you trusting Me? Lisa, why are you looking to a change in your situation to bring you joy? Lisa, why are you discouraged?” And on it went.

It was a good exercise for my heart. There’s no hiding from the Lord; He always gets to the very core of the issue.

Jeremiah is writing during a time of deep trauma and fear. He has been in the fires of affliction for quite a while. He is weary from troubles and sorrow. He feels singled out by the Lord, not for joy and blessing, but for further suffering and discouragement. Yet…yet, hear it now…when Jeremiah focuses his thoughts upon his Portion, hope lifts its head. And it’s not a beleaguered hope, not a wimpy, beaten down hope, but a stout, full-grown hope able to withstand whatever storms may assail him.

For many of us living in survival mode like Jeremiah, when life is boiled down to the essentials only, these truths help us keep moving forward. We have no hunger for appetizers or dessert; we know we need the life-sustaining, soul-refreshing, heart-restoring meat contained here. We have hope from our Portion because of who He is.

We can rationalize about our choices—“Oh but chocolate chip cookies really are satisfying!” yet at the end of a day feasting on chocolate chip cookies alone we feel empty and sick inside. God wants us to understand that settling for "chocolate chip cookies" to nourish our hungry souls is a poor food choice at best and folly at its worst. Jesus was getting to the same core issue with the woman at the well in John 4 when He asked her to get Him some water to drink and then turned to conversation to the living water that would satisfy her thirsty soul. He explained, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life (John 4:13-14).”

What well are you drinking from to replenish your thirsty soul? Why are you willing to settle for something that won’t truly satisfy you, even when you know better?

It’s the way of things—to trust God because He is so very faithful and loving and kind. Such an obvious truth, and yet there’s a reason that verse has been underlined and highlighted and prayed through and cried over in my Bible. Sometimes it’s just plain hard to trust the Lord—even when we know Him, really know Him; even when we have trusted Him in the past; even when we believe His Word and His promises. Even then, there are times when every believer comes face to face with these truths and cries out like the desperate father in Mark 9:24, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

The final advent candle of Christmas represents love. How fitting to spend the last few days before Christmas thinking on “the wonders of His love” as the hymn, “Joy to the World” puts it. I think most people get the fact that Jesus’ birth is a huge proclamation of God’s love. We’re told this in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God loved the world, and specifically the people that He created, so He gave His Son, His only Son, as a sacrifice offered up in substitution for our sins.

Having our hearts prepare Him room means doing special things to honor Jesus. Your special offering might be setting aside an evening for quiet worship, even when you have a pile of laundry waiting for you. We do things differently when we have special guests with us, so why shouldn’t we try doing things differently for the Christmas season and prepare Him room?

The hope given to us because of that little baby born in Bethlehem draws our eyes away from the tinsel and turkey, gifts and gatherings to the fulfilled promise of a Savior who rescues us from despair, isolation, and the hopelessness of sin.

Waiting is hard. Waiting in faith is even harder. Waiting in faith like Abraham does in Romans 4:18-21 is miraculous! And yet, if Abraham trusted the Lord in such a stellar manner, then there’s hope for you and me.

You might be feeling that your circumstances are harming you in some way, that they are so hurtful you feel you will never recover, yet no matter what your circumstances, the promises of God’s Word still hold true. He will not allow your situation to harm you. Your circumstances may hurt; they may be painfully difficult to endure, but they are intended for your good.