Rejoicing while Praying - 4/28/2015
I pray that even one person is encouraged by these writings. Not my ramblings about my life, but the Word of God. So, let's get through the worst part to get to the better part!
This past week, as you know, the GA job fell through. I was distraught. Lost. Utterly clueless as to the next step in life. But, I decided to keep applying and looking. I searched online for another job and the site I go to updates regularly. I saw one for a church that Abigail and I had been to several times here in FL. St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. They were looking for an intern for the youth and families ministry. Because of its location and because we already knew the church, I sent out an email to the pastor there and prayed. Talked to Abby a little about it, but didn't think too much about it.
The next day, I received a phone call. It was the pastor who I emailed. We spoke for a long while about the job and what it would look like for me to start this job. He sounded hopeful, I was overjoyed! This was a yes (sorta)! We ended the conversation deciding to leave it on hold for a week and pray. So, that's where we're at. The praying stage. Hence the title, "Rejoicing while Praying." It's no longer original, but I still like it...
One of the places that I'm reading in Scripture, still, is James 1. Looking at only verse 2, it reads, "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds," This passage is encouraging to believers because it (1) places "joy" and "trials" in the same sentence. What do I mean? These things, subjects do not normally go together. They are opposites. And, let's be honest, even believers, who know their Bibles know this Scripture, and know this passage, know that rendering joy and trials together is counter to our feeble minds. Especially in the trials. When in trials, we never think clearly. Only by the grace of God do we have clear, rational thoughts. (2) This also brings hope. Those who experience trials, which is everyone, will be able to have, if they "consider," in faith, joy. Joy is available to those in trials, but it is also able to be rejected. Honest moment, I've done this. I've rejected joy. Instead of taking my trial and measuring it compared to the strength and grace of God, which will always bring joy, I compared it to myself, which will always bring more pain.
Douglas Moo, in his commentary, writes about this joy that is ours. He says, "...the word [for joy]...probably suggests intensity (complete and unalloyed joy) rather then exclusivity (nothing but joy)." What he means is that the joy we ought to have during the trial is a wholehearted and sincere joy. But, other emotions are also allowed; sadness, grief, pain, anger, etc. Moo continues, "James does not...suggest that Christians facing trials will have no response other than joy, as if we were commanded never to be saddened by difficulties. His point, rather, is that trials should be an occasion for genuine rejoicing."
So, in this troubling time of not being sure of what is next and confusion, we must rejoice, but not a blind rejoicing. A rejoicing that is grounded in and surrounded by the Word. That's a lot easier said than done. My natural inclination is to find something else, something else that will take the place as the object of my rejoicing. Whether it be entertainment and amusement, or if it's my girlfriend and her love, or if it's anger and more sadness, or a number of other things, these take the place of the joy that should be in the Lord.
I am nowhere close to actually getting this right, but we must, for those like me, take comfort in the Spirit of the Lord for He is our strength in our weakness. He not only comforts, but convicts and guides. This is what we need in our time of deepest trials, not someone to tell us we're right, but to tell us the truth. Let's revel in the Word of God because there we will find true joy.
Thank you!
