Happy New Year! It is another year, a mostly clean slate, and a chance to start over...Pastor John Piper recently preached a powerful sermon with the thought of "Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing." What does this mean? From 2 Corinthians 5 we have these words...
"We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything."
What does this mean? To me, it means that life can be awful, everything going south, and yet, within the soul abiding in Christ, there is peace, and yes, even joy. Not a joy brought about by ideal circumstances, but the joy of sins forgiven, the joy of eternity with Christ...the joy of knowing that HE is in control, and someday it will all make perfect sense!
How do we find that joy? By abiding in Christ, by spending time with Him, in His Word, meditating on the scripture, singing hymns, trusting Him. So easy to say and yet so hard to do.
Pastor Piper also says that this joy is what the church needs to do for the world most of all. If they see a Christian, in the midst of his tears and trials, sorrowing, YET rejoicing in God, they will see and glorify our Father which is in heaven!
Lord, give me that joy!
