Joy for the Journey: Finding Hope in the Midst of TrialSample

The organization I work for hosts a fundraising of 5K every year, and last year, I made a goal to run the whole thing. Not being a runner ordinarily, I knew I needed to start training early to gain endurance to run the entire race. A runner earns their stamina by suffering through another mile when they want to quit (or in my case, running an extra minute… and then another extra minute).

In the same way, trials strengthen our spiritual muscles, and the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Each experience grants us a deeper and stronger trust in Him. Growth only comes through overcoming difficulty as we persevere through it.

Think back to a trial in life you thought was never going to get any better. How did God use that trial? How did He get you through the trial? What did you learn as you went through the trial?

Trials are difficult and painful, but God uses them nonetheless. Trials have the potential to produce something good in us, and for this reason, they are an opportunity to express joy.

For example, here are some of the good and joyful things God brought me through the trial of my husband’s addiction:

• A stronger marriage.
• An understanding of boundaries and their implementation.
• Learning what self-care means and then doing it.
• Allowing myself to feel my feelings and knowing how to work through them healthily.

Joy is not rooted in the circumstances of life; it is the quiet confidence of a great God who works for good even if we can’t see the way immediately and can only find joy when we look back.

As you read today’s scriptures, remember that joy…

• comes from God Himself (Galatians 5:22-23)
• knows there is a purpose from God through the trials. (Jeremiah 29:11)
• is found in His presence (Psalm 16:11)
• is our hidden strength (Nehemiah 8:10)

Kay Warren once wrote, “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”

We will have trials and tribulations, but you and I have a choice in those trials. We can find joy in the trial by learning, growing, and trusting God . . . or we can resist and fight the trial - leading us down a road that is hard, rough, rocky, and unpleasant.

Which do you choose?