Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10b). When we are pumped up from delightful worship, it is easy to experience this strength. If we feel grieved, overwhelmed, or angry . . . not so much! How do we grab hold of His strength in that dark place? Can we stand on the promises of God, and rejoice anyway . . . anticipating what He will do? We do purchase things NOW knowing we will pay LATER. Can we rejoice NOW knowing God will work out all that troubles us LATER? YES! Rejoicing on credit testifies to our faith in God’s promises, and it gives us the strength to endure. God’s credit is very, very good. Below are six suggestions as to how we might begin rejoicing on His credit.
1. Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy (Jeremiah 31:16). Jesus wept (John 11:35), and so can we. Ask Jesus to let you know when it is time to stop weeping. We live in a culture that denies the process of grief, so some of us tend to go overboard once it hits us. The Lord told me once, Enough. Weep no more. Avoid excessive grief.
2. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart. And saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psalms 34:18). Review and rehearse His Promises, especially the ones that are personal and meaningful to you. Decorate your house with them, or your bathroom mirror, or bookmark your Bible . . . whatever it takes to remember God’s faithfulness. God’s promises are treasures to be prayed about, anticipated, and celebrated even before they actually come to be. Let’s not allow setbacks, the clamor of this life, or our own impatience to push His promises to the background until we forget them. Which promise is particularly meaningful to you?
3. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Such folks, like Abraham, adopt an eternal perspective and the pace of a marathon runner. Abraham did not see much of what was promised to him. Such an eternal perspective, such faith was so pleasing to God . . . it was accounted to him for righteousness (Romans 4:22). Let’s develop thankful hearts and enjoy the life we’ve been given. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalms 118:24)! The time may be now, but the promises of God are timeless.
4. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you (I Peter 5:6-7). Carrying our worries around makes us too tired to dance to the music of this life, too disheartened to notice the sunset, the kindnesses of others, or the gifts of God. Let’s lay our burdens down. We were not built to carry them any further than the cross.
5. If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23). How can we be ready to support others, if we ourselves are not prepared to endure? Severe trials do not mean He is off the throne, or we’ve failed. Jesus led the perfect life, yet he endured rejection, false accusations, and much pain. It helps to remember our trials are likened to the Refiner’s fire (I Peter 1:6-7), the Vinedresser’s pruning (John 15:1-2), and/or the Potter’s shaping (Jeremiah 18:4-6). Suffering yielded to God creates good things like fine gold, much fruit, and lovely vessels. There is so much we do not yet understand. How I rejoice when I do see that a difficult season brought about a good result! Suffering is part of His discipleship program. Let’s stop being shocked by every hard thing. We are not living the “American Dream.” We are following the Lord Jesus Christ, and his instructions clearly indicate suffering.
6. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Joseph’s life was filled with many trials and setbacks. Even though he suffered much, Joseph was faithful to God, and all did indeed work out well for him ultimately. The pattern declared by Joseph can be observed repeatedly. But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive (Genesis 50:20).
Rejoicing Now—On Credit. God’s promises are true. If He said it, it will happen. His promises do not mean we will be spared hard times and suffering. Rather, we who follow Jesus have a rather unusual option. We can live like the rest of the world and be anxious, nervous and worried about our outcomes. Or, we can choose to believe that God will indeed do what He has said He will do and live accordingly. Choosing to rejoice now before we see his promises fulfilled is–rejoicing on credit. Proverbs 31:25 ESV describes the virtuous woman as one who laughs at the time to come. Let’s join her!
