Eternal Joy is His Compensation
Tuesday Thought 9.17.24
When hard times come, we find out what we really believe. And that is good information. We hope we say, “I belong to You, Jesus. You are my God. Not my life, not my health, not my relationships.” But we may be dismayed to realize the thinness of our trust in God’s goodness. We may notice a feeling that, put into words, says, “I don’t deserve this! I’ve been faithful!” But, like nothing else, pain and grief can motivate us to run to Jesus. If we will say, as Jesus did in Gethsemane, “Please take this cup away from me, but not my will but yours be done,” we are aligned with Him. We can request relief, for sure, and yet submission to his will and his ways is crucial. He submitted to the excruciating physical and spiritual pain of the cross because He trusted his Father’s goodness and trusted his suffering would be fully compensated—with joy. We, too, can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, submit and trust in the midst of our agonizing circumstances. We can trust God will also compensate us with joy that exceeds our pain. Holy Spirit, give us endurance and encouragement in our suffering, that we might fully trust your goodness though every catastrophe. Thank you for your constant presence. May we be aware today of your comfort and strength. Amen. The Lord bless you and keep you all your days. Matthew 26:39 Hebrews 12:2 2 Corinthians 4:17 Romans 15:5
"We can trust God will also compensate us with joy that exceeds our pain."
What a great line! Because it's true!