"You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and then you will rejoice; and no one can rob you of that joy" (John 16:22).
Once you and I truly experience the joy of the Lord, no one can rob us of that joy!
That does not mean that we will never experience disappointment, sorrow or grief; but it does mean that deep down underneath it all is the joy that comes as a gift from God, the fruit of the Spirit. And that is the kind of joy that no one can take away.
Underneath the tears, the heartache, lies the calm, sweet peace that God gives to those who walk in faith and obedience. And that is a part of the joy that He promises.
Jesus' promise to see His disciples again, of course, refers to after the resurrection. "You will be so firmly persuaded that I have risen," He says to them, "and that I am the Messiah, that neither the threats nor the persecutions of men will ever be able to shake your faith, or produce doubt or unbelief and thus take away your joy."
Jesus' prediction, as we know, was remarkably fulfilled, for after He revealed Himself to them following the resurrection, not one of the apostles ever doubted for a moment that He has risen from the dead. No trial or persecution was able to shake their faith - so that their joy remained.
You and I have certainties of faith that are unshakable, and thus they produce joy - joy that will remain forever and ever.
Today's Action Point
I will remember to praise and thank God for the unshakable joy that He alone gives.
