Tag: joy

Joy in the Midst of Pain (In the Midst of Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1, “Peace in the Midst of Trouble”, click here.

The book of Philippians is apostle Paul’s happiest letter by far. He mentions joy or rejoicing sixteen times and nearly a third of these references speak to his present joy (Philippians 1:4, Philippians 1:18, Philippians 2:17, Philippians 4:1, Philippians 4:10). You’d think that he’s on vacation or visiting one of his prospering churches. But Paul pens his sunniest epistle amidst some of his greatest suffering—imprisonment in a dark, dirty prison cell.

Joy in Christ

Paul’s first and greatest joy was Jesus Christ. He rejoiced in living because that meant that he got to continue working for Christ (Philippians 1:22). He rejoiced in dying because that meant that he’d get to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). And he rejoiced in his suffering because it was furthering the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:13).

Jesus is our north star. He’s that fixed point in space that orients us when the storms of life come. When those without God suffer, they have reason to despair. When they are dumped, diagnosed, or defeated, “the Universe” shrugs its shoulders and tell them they got the short end of the stick. But God tells us believers that all suffering will bring us closer to who He created us to be (Romans 8:28-29).

Joy in Others

Paul’s second joy was other people. Paul started off the book of Philippians by saying, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now” (Philippians 1:3-5). Paul was born to be a missionary, that was the pride and joy of his life. But instead of mourning his loss, he rejoiced that others shared his vision and carried on the torch.

He also rejoiced in his relationship with his friends. The Philippians were his joy and crown (Philippians 4:1). And he wrote this letter to encourage them to remain strong. When suffering closes in, we have a tendency to curl up. We want to detach from others and focus on ourselves. But we can find joy by following Paul’s example—remembering the loving care of those around us and finding ways to serve them.

Joy in Contentment

Paul found his ultimate joy in contentment. Some of the most powerful words in the entire New Testament are found in Philippians 4:12-13:  “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Discontent people will always be unhappy. No matter how many blessings the LORD lavishes upon on them, there will always be just one more thing they need. But content people trust in God. So they can be happy no matter their present sufferings.

Conclusion

Paul was the apostle of pain. He was baptized into the faith with the prophecy: “I will show him how much he must suffer for My name” (Acts 9:16).  With bruises and beatings, sleepless nights and shipwrecks, Paul endured more than many of us ever will even if we lived ten lifetimes. Yet he was also happier than many of us ever will be too. If we focus on Christ, love on others, and mature in contentment, we too can begin to sing in the midst of our dungeons.

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”

(2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

The Hope of Paupers and Princes (Overtures from the Advent-ures of Jesus Christ Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “A Pregnancy Delayed”, click here.

At first blush, the coming of the shepherds and the magi to see baby Jesus couldn’t be more different: the first were poor, the latter wealthy; the first were locals, the latter foreigners; the first entered a dark cave, the latter a well-lit home. Yet there are several surprising similarities in their experiences.

They Came

After the angels proclaimed the arrival of the Messiah with a holy choir, (Matthew 2:9-14), the Word says “the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off” (Matthew 2:15-16a NIV). Similarly, the magi told King Herod, “‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him’” (Matthew 2:2 NIV).

The shepherds left their sheep to see the Good Shepherd, and the princes left their kingdom to pay homage to the true King. They welcomed the interruption of God in their lives.

The Christmas season is supposed to be a chance for recuperation and reorientation. Yet many of us find ourselves frazzled and harried. We’re planning a Zoom Christmas celebration with our extended family while watching kids wrapping up their semesters while serving on a holiday church committee, or three. Like Martha we may have become worried and upset over many things, while missing the one thing that really matters (Luke 10:41-42).

They Rejoiced

On their way to see baby Jesus, the magi once again laid eyes on the star that had guided them thus far. And they were overjoyed (Matthew 2:10). The shepherds too left the holy infant, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard” (Luke 2:20). Taking the time to commemorate the birth of Life Incarnate should similarly lift our spirits.

They Worshiped

Lastly, both the paupers and the princes worshiped Jesus. Specifically with the kings, the Word says “they bowed down” (Matthew 2:10). They debased themselves before the true King.

Christmas is a season where it can be particularly easy to turn our focus inward: maximizing our vacation time, seizing the best holiday deals, and scarfing down the best food. But we forget that December 25th is not John-mas or Jill-mas but Christ-mas. It’s all about Him. And we’d do well to lay down our crowns at the feet of the proper Prince.

Conclusion

The story of the magi’s visit to Jesus ends with them presenting Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). These presents were of incalculable worth, befitting royalty. Yet their presents paled in comparison to the gift Jesus Christ gave them in return: Himself. As we down eggnog and share holiday cheer, let’s turn our eyes upward. Let’s never forget the Christ that made Christmas.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

A Tearful Thanksgiving (Broken Hallelujah Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “A Foundation of Rejoicing and Regret”, click here. For Part 2 on “Expecting Much but Finding Little”, click here.

With Thanksgiving coming in a couple weeks, many positive scriptures are rightly on people’s minds. Verses like “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b) pop up in our “Verse of the Day” apps. And we find ourselves repeating these words without grasping the original context in which they were spoken.

Background

The LORD had restored the exiles to their homeland of Jerusalem. They had just finished reconstructing their city’s protective wall. But the returnees were few in number and homeless (Nehemiah 7:4). It was the beginning of the Israelites’ holiday season, the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. But here they were living in ruin, far from their friends and families still in exile.

New Year

The first day of the seventh month is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As the Jews stepped into a new year, they sought the LORD’s will.  “[A]ll the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel… He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:1,3 NIV).

As we step into a new year, a new presidency, and a new phase of this pandemic, we need God’s word more than ever before. The book of Psalms says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT). As we venture into new territory, it’d be wise to not journey in the dark.

Fresh Tears

The book of Nehemiah goes on to say, “All the people wept as they heard the words of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:9b ESV). Simply hearing the word of God is not enough. The hearts of the Israelites were clearly moved by the message Ezra read to them. When was the last time you wept while reading the Bible? When was the last time the living Word challenged you to change the way you live your life? When was the last time Holy Scripture pierced you to your very core?

Conclusion

As the Israelites wept, Nehemiah encouraged them with the words, “‘Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!’…So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them’” (Nehemiah 8:10,12 NLT).

As we prepare to fill our bellies with delicious grub, we must approach the dinner table aright. Let’s weep over the ashes of our nation decimated by disease. Let’s acknowledge how far we’ve fallen short of God’s holy standard.  But let’s also find joy in the strength of our LORD and rejoice mightily before Him.

“Many are they who say of me, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

(Psalm 3:2-3 NKJV)

A Foundation of Rejoicing and Regret (Broken Hallelujah Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

The Babylonians exiled the Israelites for seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10). When they returned to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by a devastated temple and a ravaged city. A grand legacy built over the course of centuries had been reduced to rubble. As they sat among the ashes, the LORD commanded the Israelites to rebuild.

Two years after the Israelites’ return, they began restoring the temple, the symbol of the LORD’s presence among them and the pride of their country. The book of Ezra says, “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise.” (Ezra 3:11-13a NIV).

Thanksgiving

As we enter into the month of November, we have much to give thanks for. With every new election comes renewed hope of a fresh start. 2021 is fast approaching with the promise of vaccines that will heal our land and restore our economy. And the holiday season promises a welcome reprieve from the monotony of the past six months.

Weeping

But just as the older priests remembered the former glory of Solomon’s temple, so we too remember all that’s been lost. We remember the joys of community, collective celebration, and above all the precious lives that were snuffed out by this pandemic. So as we clothe ourselves with a garment of praise, we also shoulder a boulder of grief.

Conclusion

These two truths must remain in tension, joy for what’s to come and pain over what’s been lost. Many of us have a tendency to drift to one extreme or the other. Some are drinking themselves to despair on memories of yesteryear. Others are whitewashing this year with platitudes and denial. But Apostle Paul said to “be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 NLT). As we near the end of 2020 and turn over a new leaf with 2021, we must learn to embrace the bittersweet. We must belt out laughter from our bellies with tears of grief streaming down our faces. We must cherish the joy without neglecting the sorrow. For only from that razor-thin vantage point will we have the eyes to rebuild properly.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.”

(Lamentations 3:19-23 NIV)

The Fruit of Joy from the Seed of Grief (Tragedies of Hope Pt. 4)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “Missing the Presence”, click here. For Part 2 on “A Dying Baby, a Dead Baby, and a Living Hope”, click here. For Part 3 on “An Exiled World”, click here.

There was a mighty man of God in the New Testament known as Stephen. He was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, worked many great miracles, and rightly handled the Word of God before fierce opposition (Acts 6:8). He was one of the first leaders of the early church, and he was also its first martyr.

His enemies instigated a smear campaign against him, bringing him to trial on false charges. As he was giving a speech to an ad-hoc kangaroo court of Jewish people, they plugged their ears and stoned him to death (Acts 7). His death was the seed for the widespread persecution of the early church.

Turning Tragedy Into Grief

Acts 8:2 says, “Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.” The Greek word translated “lamentation” here is kopeton: to literally beat one’s chest in grief. The Bible never shies away from sadness. We were never called to be Pollyannas, pretending as if “it’s all good” when it really isn’t. We should be willing to embrace grief.

A third of the Psalms—the great praise book of the Bible—are dedicated to lamentation. Even a whole book of the Bible, Lamentations, focuses on that topic specifically. We are to pour out our ragged, raw emotions to our heavenly Father.

Turning Grief Into Opportunity

These devout men and women were forced to flee from Jerusalem. Many fled to the surrounding region of Samaria for safety. But these refuges didn’t just uproot and replant, laying low until the heat died down. Acts 8:4 says, “Those who were scattered abroad went about preaching the word.”

C.S. Lewis is famous for having written, “[Pain] is [God’s] megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Many who read this quote focus on the power of pain to open our own ears to a message we need to hear, but it also magnifies the power of our message to others.

The Apostle Paul said, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV). Part of his strength was his visceral testimony of God in the middle of his visceral suffering, just like these other early Christians.

Turning Opportunity Into Joy

Acts 8:8 states the result of the preaching of these early Christians: “So there was much joy in that city.” By embracing their mission in the midst of their pain, the early church “carried the death of Jesus in their bodies, so that His life might be revealed in others” (2 Corinthians 4:10). They rose from grief to joy and elevated a whole city with them!

Conclusion

The same Apostle Paul mentioned earlier was present at the stoning of Stephen. But he wasn’t a fierce denouncer of Stephen’s murderers; he zealously supported them! However, this marquee event was a stepping stone on his journey to salvation.

A few years later, Christ met Paul on the road to Damascus, where Paul was traveling to ravage the Christian church. Jesus asked him, “Why are you persecuting Me? It’s hard to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14)? Something had happened to Paul that stripped from him his hatred of the Christian church, making his persecution insincere.

The death of this innocent man must have been one of the factors weighing on Paul’s mind when he turned to Jesus Christ. From this seed, this one martyr’s death, an incalculable bounty of life sprung up and continues to blossom till today.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

(John 12:24 ESV)

Remembrance

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Millions of Americans will celebrate the Fourth of July today. Festive parades in the morning, sizzling barbecues in the afternoon, and booming fireworks in the evening commemorate this historic event. These traditions remind us of that fateful day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the course that liberated our nation bounded into motion.

As I reflected on the history of our nation, the history of another came to mind. Thousands of years ago, the Jewish race were also oppressed by a foreign nation: Egypt. Through a series of miraculous signs and wonders, God set the Jews free, and He charged them with annually celebrating the Passover to commemorate their Independence Day.

These distinct holidays serve the same purpose, instilling a culture of remembrance amongst their respective nations. However, with the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, it can be easy to gloss over these seasons of celebration. But remembrance is more than a luxury; it’s essential.

Remembrance Triggers Perspective

On the night of the first Passover, the LORD told Moses, “‘[W]hen your children ask you, “What does this ceremony mean to you?” then tell them, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians”‘” (Exodus 12:26-27 NIV). Just as the weighty significance of the Passover might be lost to some modern-day Jews, the gravitas of Independence Day can be drowned out by a shower of flashy festivities and good gravy. As Americans, we often take for granted our freedom of speech, press, religion, and many others. These freedoms were not given but seized on a bloody battlefield in a harrowing war.

Remembrance Kindles Gratitude

God often described the promised land He was leading His people into as a land “flowing with milk and honey”. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses refers to it as a wonderland of gushing springs, ripe pomegranates, and decadent honey (Deuteronomy 8:7-8). But something about widespread abundance tends to produce national amnesia (Deuteronomy 8:11-14).

Wealthy nations tend to thank their booming economies, vibrant population, and innovative policies for their success. They forget these are the products of their astute forefathers and the gracious God who orchestrated it all.

Remembrance Sparks Joy

In the book of 2 Chronicles, King Hezekiah reinstates the celebration of Passover, which through a string of ungodly kings and rampant idolatry had fallen by the wayside. 2 Chronicles 30:25-26 says, “The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced…for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.” King Solomon’s reign ended around 927 BC, and King Hezekiah’s did not begin until 727 BC. So the Jewish people denied themselves this season of celebration for two hundred years!

We too can get so caught up in the business of life and worries about tomorrow that we forget to stop, drop, and relax.  King Solomon himself said there was “a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to be sad and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4 NIV).

 I’m not minimizing the tragedies we are living through this year. I know a pandemic is raging and racial tensions are nearing their boiling point. But our country has also survived another year in spite of these stressors. This alone is reason enough to celebrate.

Conclusion

A spirit of remembrance is the broth that a worthwhile life marinates in. We must allow the glory of the past to sink into the meat of today. May we remember how God has blessed America, and from my family to yours, have a Happy Fourth of July!

“Then he said to them, ‘Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'”

(Nehemiah 8:10)