The Christian life is lived within the boundaries of two of God's greatest blessings to His children--grief and joy. Unless our sin causes us to grieve over the pain we have caused His heart, we will never repent--and thus never know the deep joy of the renewal of the sense of His presence. And Joel tells us that the depth of our grief for the sin that separates us from Him and results in His discipline in our lives should be as deep as a bride would feel if on her wedding ...day, her husband-to-be died. Grief is a love word. He disciplines us because He loves us too deeply to let us walk further and further away from His side--our Eternal Bridegroom. Similarly, our love for Him is measured by the depth of our grief over our sin. The loss of the joy that comes from the loss of a sense of His loving presence should devastate us.
Grief over the loss of those we love is the bedrock of our joyous hope--the only sure hope--that we will be reunited with them in glory--in His presence forevermore. Such grieving is not a sin or a lack of faith, but instead a reminder of His promise of eternal life. We do not grieve as those who have no hope. We grieve as those who are comforted by His sure return, by the promised sound of the trumpet, by the regathering in the air with all those who love His appearing. And what a day of rejoicing that will be! "So shall we ever be with the Lord."
And grief causes us to present to Him the one sacrifice that He will not despise--a broken and contrite spirit. Such a heart is the drink offering of praise that we as His children present to HIm--the God of Forgiveness--the God who uses the broken-hearted to do His will--to display to those around them the joy with which He fills their heart each day. It is the joy in our heart that marvels at His lovingkindness--His faithful love even for the unfaithful. Our grief becomes the catalyst, not just for a deepening joy in our lives, but as a catalyst for us to touch other lives with His contagious joy--cross-conquering joy. We would not embrace the joy that is our strength if we did not grieve over our weaknesses. Our acknowlegement of those weakneses make us totally dependent on His forgiveness, His promises, His fatherly discipline, His inescapable, victory-giving love for us.
Grief and joy. Only the loving God of the impossible can use them together--will use them together--to make us vessels fit for His service.
Grief over the loss of those we love is the bedrock of our joyous hope--the only sure hope--that we will be reunited with them in glory--in His presence forevermore. Such grieving is not a sin or a lack of faith, but instead a reminder of His promise of eternal life. We do not grieve as those who have no hope. We grieve as those who are comforted by His sure return, by the promised sound of the trumpet, by the regathering in the air with all those who love His appearing. And what a day of rejoicing that will be! "So shall we ever be with the Lord."
And grief causes us to present to Him the one sacrifice that He will not despise--a broken and contrite spirit. Such a heart is the drink offering of praise that we as His children present to HIm--the God of Forgiveness--the God who uses the broken-hearted to do His will--to display to those around them the joy with which He fills their heart each day. It is the joy in our heart that marvels at His lovingkindness--His faithful love even for the unfaithful. Our grief becomes the catalyst, not just for a deepening joy in our lives, but as a catalyst for us to touch other lives with His contagious joy--cross-conquering joy. We would not embrace the joy that is our strength if we did not grieve over our weaknesses. Our acknowlegement of those weakneses make us totally dependent on His forgiveness, His promises, His fatherly discipline, His inescapable, victory-giving love for us.
Grief and joy. Only the loving God of the impossible can use them together--will use them together--to make us vessels fit for His service.
"Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting."
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