Sorrow will turn to Joy

"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b)


In this passage of scripture Jesus is telling His disciples that they will have trouble. Its going to happen! There is just no way around it. He was nearing the time of His death and He knew it was going to be really bad! But then He also told them that He has overcome the world! What? At this point, He hasn't been raised from the dead and been back to heaven. He hasn't even been to the cross yet. So, how could He say that?

He was speaking prophetically. He knew what was going to happen. He knew He was going to beat death and satan and that He was going to overcome the world. He was telling His friends to get ready for adversity but also to embrace it. He said "be of good cheer". Their sorrow will turn to joy. However while going through such hardship, it can feel like total chaos. But, it only FEELS that way.

Yesterday I received some very bad news that may altar my life and my family's life. This news is going to force us as a family to completely rely on the sweet Lord Jesus! But, isn't that one of His major purposes when He allows hardship? It forces reality to come in and with that reality is a humbleness, which is always a very good thing! I just love the way the Lord works! After we received the news, we get a card from someone at it basically said the Lord has got you and to have faith! Man, I get chills and start to have tears well up in my eyes as I write this because the person who gave us that card has no idea what we are facing and the timing of her encouragement! She didn't know but the Lord did!

Also, this morning was another encouragement  that Jesus sent us. Every morning Cyndi and I sit down and read a devotion. Right now we are going through the book of psalms with a reading from Steve Gallagher at His website "Eternal Weight of Glory". This mornings reading was on hardship and God being in control.

You know as I read that this morning and the card last night, I felt the Lord saying... It's going to be hard and it will be a little rough but I am with you. Remember that when you hear the lies that your not going to make it because they are only lies. This is a time I have prepared for your family to press into Me and have your faith in Me be strengthened. I'm going to give you more of Myself and I am going to purify you and your family a little more through this. Just don't turn from Me, but turn towards Me. You may at times feel like I'm not listening to you or feel that I have left you. But it will only FEEL that way. It won't be real. When My only Son hung on that cross for you, He went through an enormous pain and wrath from Me, but look what We all gained from that. It was worth it to Me to crush Him like that because my desire is you! I am helping you and I will provide for you.

You see, when Jesus was crucified, the disciples went through hardship and was being lied to. It was total chaos... or was it?

Chaos means complete disorder and confusion. Let me ask you... Was the meaning of the cross disorder? If you are a believer, do you have real confusion of the meaning of why Jesus died? Of course not. We don't because we have 2,000 years to tell us that needed to happen for us to be free. I tell you, out of all chaos in the world, that was one of the worst, seemingly anyway, because doesn't that show how much God was in control even when things seemed to be upside down and backwards and inside out?

Take it from someone who knows chaos and adversity. I don't pretend to have the corner of understanding this but I have went through some hard times. Two family murders, four close family deaths, depression as a young child to the point of wanting to die at age 10, being hospitalized for mental illness 3 times and many more things. Back to the cross is where we need to go in the hard times. Heaven is fun to think about and even the miracles God has preformed are good to think about, but there is nothing that helps us more than the Humility and understanding the mercy we need that comes from being at the foot of the cross!

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, laking nothing." James 1:2-4.   -   Today, count it as a joyful thing of whatever hardship or testing you are going through. No matter if it is even fatal, it is not the end because we have eternal life with Him if you are putting your faith in Him!

Praise you Jesus for all times as these. Amen and amen!!

-Doug McGowan