Hold onto Your Joy

Hannah was in total despair as she wept at the altar of the house of the Lord in Shiloh. She was grieved for having no children, overcome by the loss. David, anointed to be the king of Israel was completely exhausted and battle weary. “How long, O Lord, how long?” he cried out in desperation. Elijah, mentally and spiritually spent from months of prophecy, ministry and running for his life begged only to die, finished with a desire for life. Peter had heard the words of Jesus and followed Him. Loved Him. Yet denied Him three times as Jesus was being tortured for Peter’s very own sin. Awareness of his failure spiraled him into a chasm of shame and regret. These tremendous heroes, and many more through the ages, suffered seasons of great darkness. They were struggling to hold onto the joy in their lives.

Maybe you have experienced this as well. I know I have. It can come from any direction. Physical. Emotional. Spiritual. It can come out of something of your own doing, or an illness, or it can just come from the stresses of everyday life. It can come from loss. It can even come from completely spending yourself in ministry doing good, noble things. No matter where it comes from, though, it is difficult to navigate the feelings of sadness, fatigue, isolation and defeat. And of course, it’s important to look carefully at our circumstances. Sometimes the darkness lasts for a short while. And that’s what I want to address here. So, I want to be clear. When it goes beyond that into long-term depression, please seek Christian professional assistance to make sure it does not stem from an undiagnosed physical condition or needs intervention.

But let me encourage you right here and now. Joy has not left you forever! What makes me say that? Because one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is joy! And where does the Spirit dwell? He dwells in you! So let me share with you my secret weapon for holding onto my joy when it seems to be slipping away.

Pray. Ask God for wisdom about the root cause. Do you have a long-term problem that needs resolution like Hannah did? Have you been battling the enemy for too long without a break? Have you been serving too long without a break? Have you allowed an attitude or willful action to create a wall between you and Jesus? Then talk with Him honestly about it. Lift your burden to Him.

Allow God to speak to you through His Word. There are so many encouraging verses in the Bible. The Lord put them there to help you address the issues that threaten you! Below are a few to get you started. Read these scriptures slowly, and allow the Lord to speak to your heart through them. A friend of mine says she reads a scripture passage and allows the Lord to point out His message to her by having words or phrases “shimmer” on the page. In other words, something about them will become significant to her. This is how the Holy Spirit teaches and helps us. He points out specifically what we need for our specific circumstances. Oh, how He loves us!
Do Not be Dismayed – Isaiah 41:10
Fear – Isaiah 41:13, Psalm 56:3
Strength – Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:13
Hope – Jeremiah 29:11
The Lord Helps and Rescues – Psalm 34:17
Give Your Cares to Him – I Peter 5:6-7, Philippians 4:6-7m Psalm 94:18-19,
Joy and Peace – Romans 15:13
Rest – Matthew 11:28-30

Write down the passage that speaks to you. One of the best ways we have of communicating with the Lord is through writing (or journaling) what the Lord places on our hearts as we study His Word and pray. By writing it down, we begin to remember throughout the day how He loves us and is helping us.

Prayerfully re-read significant verses throughout the day. Leave your Bible open to that passage that has spoken to you and go back to it frequently. Each time ask the Lord to help you commit that verse to memory and to show you how to apply it to your life. You may also want to copy the verse and post it in different places where you will see it…on the refrigerator door or the bathroom mirror or the dashboard of your car. Wherever it will remind you of God’s great love and care for you.

Call a friend. Living a Christian life is not done in isolation. We need our Christian friends and the strength they provide when we are weak. Scripture tells us that when two or three of us gather to pray in Jesus’ Name, He is there with us! So call a trusted friend. Tell her that you are experiencing a difficult time. Details are not imperative, only what you feel comfortable telling. But, what is important is that you communicate what the Lord is speaking to you in His Word and ask her to pray with you concerning your need.

Give God all the time He wants. This is where the rubber meets the road! You may ask God for help and see it immediately. That’s great! He does answer immediately sometimes. But what if you don’t see an immediate answer? That’s great too! See,this may sound too simple, but this is the truth: if you will keep asking the Lord for help and humbly looking to Him for direction, at the perfect time, when you’re truly ready to act on it, He will give it! Just follow this pattern of staying in the Word, staying in prayer, and staying in contact with you Christian accountability partner. You’ll be amazed and strengthened by what God will do.

This secret weapon has helped me so many times in my life. I know it will for you, too, if you will allow it. Just remember that God’s Word, the Bible, is there to help and encourage you. The Holy Spirit will teach you, through specific words, phrases and verses, what you need to know and do about your circumstances. So trust God and be ready. Expect great things and hold onto your joy!

And, by the way…Hannah finally did have that child. She dedicated him back to the Lord and he became the priest of Israel who obeyed God’s command and appointed David as king of Israel. This lineage lead to Jesus, our Savior, the everlasting King of Kings. King David journaled many of his conversations and thoughts and times of despair and joy in the Lord in the Psalms. He was the greatest king over Israel in the Old Testament, a man after God’s own heart. Elijah performed many miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. He prophesied the coming of Jesus the Messiah more than any other Old Testament prophet. The disciple Peter reconciled with Jesus and became the bold preacher on the day of Pentecost who persuaded thousands to put their faith in Jesus. This was the beginning of the New Testament church we are a part of today. Just think of what the Lord wants to do in your life, too!