Our world is in the midst of an epidemic that no generation living today, has experienced before. And who am I that I can sit here and journal about this issue, when my little understanding can not grasp the severity of the moment, or the affects it will have on the world in the years to come. I DO know that we are living history. This time, this year – 2020, will be remembered for generations, told over again to our children and our children’s children, if Jesus delays in coming. How are we living this history? How will we be remembered?
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 1 Peter 1:3-8
Joy unspeakable and full of glory. This has been in my head for a week now and I have been rolling it around in my mind. This chapter and many others in the Bible speak of trying times. “The trying of your faith…”. And I have been thinking – who of us are exempt from trials? Exempt from epidemics? Exempt from failing economies? Does that mean the Lord is not blessing us? That He has turned His face away?
No. I do believe that THIS is how He blesses us. THIS. The trying of our faith, the valley we walk through, the hard times in this life. If life on earth was bliss, there would be no need for heaven. If there was no “wanting” for anything here, there would be no need for prayers sent up there.
We are called to “count it all joy” when we fall into trials of any kind for the trying of our faith makes us perfect – lacking nothing. Perfect in the spirit, made whole through Jesus, our flames renewed for the Word and desiring communion with Him. We grow closer to our Lord and this “joy unspeakable” becomes real, regardless of what we live through. Isn’t that what we want, truly?
I almost can picture our God up in Heaven allowing this to happen so we stop, as a people. We stop and for the first time in our lives we are forced to stay home and all the sudden the “busyness” of life comes to a halt and we look around and wonder what this is all for anyway and we BE STILL. We know that He is God. And THIS. This is Joy Unspeakable.
Prayers for you and your loved ones.
XOXO
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