Easter – Our Joy

In the last post I expressed my concern that God may be judging our nation. But I do not want those who read my articles to think that all is gloom and doom. I believe there is hope because our Lord overcame the worst possible circumstance – He overcame death! For this reason, even though we may be facing hard times you can still rejoice. The apostle Paul said it this way: as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; … I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. (2Cor. 6:10, 7:4) How can we rejoice in sorrow and tribulation like Paul did? Can we find joy even though our nation may be under judgment? My answer is a resounding yes! The reason Paul could rejoice even in the worst of circumstances was because his source of joy was not in circumstances. Paul’s joy was in the Lord. Our Lord Jesus promised His disciples that He would rise from the dead and when they had seen Him, He assured them that their heart would rejoice, and their joy could not be taken from them by anyone. (John 16:22) Our Lord endured the cross (suffering and sorrow that we can’t even imagine) because of the joy that was set before Him. (Heb.12:2). Our precious and loving Lord said that He would rise from the dead and ascend to His Father so that we could have His joy fulfilled in our hearts. (John 17:13)Because of Easter we can have joy that no one can take away. No matter what you are going through, even if you are facing your death or that of a loved one, you can have joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. (1Pet.1:8) The reason we assemble ourselves every Sunday to joyfully worship is Easter. See you on Sunday.