Joy in Jesus

Your grief will turn to joy, and no one will take away your joy. John 16 verses 20 and 22.

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled, Joy in Jesus, was written by Tim Gustafson and read by Stephen Tabor. John chapter 16 verses 16 through 24. Jesus went on to say, In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. At this, some of his disciples said to one another, What does he mean by saying, In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me, and because I am going to the Father? They kept asking, What does he mean by a little while?

We don't understand what he is saying. Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you, now is your time of grief, but I will see you again, and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly, I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Joy in Jesus, written by Tim Gustafson I have the right to be happy, said a teenager as she spoke before a legislator.

Yet she could have been anyone, anywhere, speaking for everybody. It's our human cry. One self-help guru even said, God wants you to be happy.

Is that true? It's not wrong to pursue happiness. That desirable state of mind, however, ebbs and flows with our moment-by-moment circumstances, and the fulfillment of one person's desires can crush the happiness of another. Jesus points us to something better. He knew he was about to be nailed to a Roman cross, where he would bear the weight of the world's sin.

Yet his concern was for his disciples. In John 16 he told them, You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. But he also said, Your grief will turn to joy. Then he promised, No one will take away your joy. This kind of joy is more than a good feeling based on desirable things happening to us.

It grows out of doing the will of our Father in heaven. In Matthew 6, Jesus also said, Seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Happiness can slip away with the next unpleasant circumstance. The joy that comes from following Jesus can thrive despite those circumstances. Let's pray. Jesus, help us to trust You and seek Your kingdom, even when life feels hard, knowing that joy comes from You. When we struggle, remind us of Your presence and fill us with joy and peace, knowing that the joy You give can't be taken away because You can't be taken away. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. How does chasing what you want ultimately leave you unhappy? What's the difference between happiness and joy?