Southland Christian Church

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In Case of Emergency – Stay Calm - Thursday


Today’s Verse

1 Peter 1:8

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. (NLT)


My daughter’s teacher told me recently that she reminds her of Joy from the movie “Inside Out”. As a mom, I was so deeply proud to hear this because that little girl lights up a room! She purposefully tries to include everyone, fits right in with any group, laughs the whole way, and is full of compassion, wanting to see others smile, too. In her best moments, she is the epitome of joyful!

When I say “joyful” and when we read the word “joy” in today’s verse, let me clarify: I’m not talking about happiness. Happiness is temporary, fleeting, and solely based on present circumstances. The joy I’m talking about and the kind Peter is talking about in this scripture is the unexplainable joy that comes from knowing Jesus and allowing that fruit to be developed deep down in your heart. (Does anybody remember that kids’ song from Sunday school, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. HEY!”?)

That joy is easy to have in the highs of life… but in the lows? That’s when you really see the proof of it come to light. Let’s be real: life is hard. I have bad days all the time, but even when things are hardest, those circumstances cannot steal the joy I have in knowing that Jesus has me—and there is hope for a day when struggles won’t even be reality anymore! That’s the kind of joy that comes from knowing Jesus.

There’s a song we sing on Sundays called “Living Hope”. I know it’s one of your favorites because y’all sing it out every time it’s in one of our sets! And it’s a good song, truly. But I think the reason it resonates so well is because of the message of hope it carries. The fact that Jesus did so much, loves so deeply, and willingly gave up so much for me and for you… you can’t help but worship Him and be full of gratitude no matter what you’re facing!

Jesus, our living hope, is the foundation of our joy. It’s not a wishful or fleeting kind of hope, but a confident expectation based on the reality of what Christ has done for us. Because of His death and resurrection, we are no longer bound to the disappointments of this world. We have a secure future, “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.”


REFLECTION

Joy is not the absence of difficulty, but the presence of God in the midst of it. Spend some time today taking the difficulties in your life to God and ask Him to give you an abundance of joy in the face of them.