Wednesday, March 18
Read: Psalm 146; Isaiah 60:17-22; Matthew 9:27-34
Joy Found in Everlasting Light
Hardship is something everyone will face at some point in life. It can alter your course of life and leave you questioning everything and stripped of joy. This summer, I unfortunately was a witness to one of the hardest things an individual and family could experience. One of my family’s closest friends was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The kind of brain tumor that not only brings fear and so many questions but slams the brakes on the reality of a healthy, funny, and involved father who is now bedridden in chronic pain. Life altered in the blink of an eye.
However, one thing never changed. In all the pain and sadness, they never stopped thanking Jesus. Because while this was a total shock to them, this was all part of Jesus’s plan and knowing that they have been able to carry themselves with so much happiness, worshipping continuously through music and prayer. Every doctor’s appointment became a place to share the Gospel. I will never forget people wondering how they are still able to get up in the morning bearing so much heartache and thank God for the heartache.
It was not until I read his testimony did I understand myself why his happiness remained despite devastating news. It actually was not happiness at all. It was joy! The kind of joy you receive when you completely and whole heartedly turn your life over to Christ. The kind of joy you receive when you have questions about the path your life is taking but recognize God’s path for your life is perfect and for His good. It is the hope and peace you receive when you declare Christ as your Lord, and you know where your end goal lies. You have faith and joy because that is God!
God reminds us of this in His Word. Psalm 146:7-8 (NIV) states “The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind,” and Isaiah 60:17-22 proclaims the life of hope, security, and blessing that only comes from making the direct choice to follow the Lord. It shows the kind of rapid transformation that happens to our hearts when we let God in and surrender fully to Him and His will for our lives. What joy these deliberate actions bring!
Matthew 9:27-34 demonstrates what proclaiming our faith in the Lord will do for us. The blind men approached Jesus humbly asking for a miracle as they had no doubt of the powers of Jesus. They put their whole faith and trust in God. When Jesus healed the blind men He asked them to tell no one of the miracles performed. But the joy was so overwhelming, they could not help but share the good news of the Lord with everyone they crossed paths with! Yes, they were overjoyed to be healed but they could not wait to tell the Pharisees who doubted them the proof that Christ is King. The blind men wanted everyone to experience the same joy and peace they did. This is the kind of joy that takes over your heart when you trust in the Lord. They received the miracle!
Yet, what if the miracle of healing is not God’s perfect plan? The true miracle has already occurred: God’s sacrificial love and grace which bring indescribable joy. The kind of joy that lasts through diagnoses and uncertainties. The kind of joy radiates from within and makes it impossible to not share it with others. The kind of joy you receive when you completely trust the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your Son as a living sacrifice so that we may have the hope and promise of tomorrow. May we remember the joy you provide during both the lightest and darkest seasons of life. We pray that you open our hearts to your will, fully trusting in your divine plan for us. Thank you for the work you have done and will continue to do in our lives. During this Lenten season, help us be like the blind men whose joy could not be contained. Amen
Ms. Ella Hatchcock is a junior Communications student at Huntingdon College from Madison, Mississippi. Ella currently serves as the Next Gen Intern at St. James Church, a Global Methodist congregation in Montgomery, Alabama.
