Joy While We Wait

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.”

(1 Chronicles 16:8)

Is it possible to rejoice for what we don’t yet have? To some extent, isn’t that faith? Hebrews 11:8-10 tells us that Abraham rejoiced and waited for something that was far off and it was credited to him as faith. It says, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Then, in verse 13, we read, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

Matthew Henry once said, “All who make God their joy, may rejoice in hope for He is faithful that has promised.” We may not always feel like rejoicing, but we always have a reason to be joyful. Tim Hansel put it this way, “Happiness is a feeling. Joy is an attitude.” We can have joy even when our physical circumstances aren’t perfect. Even before God’s promises have been fulfilled, we can celebrate their fulfillment because our God is faithful.

When we are in the middle of waiting, we can remember what God has done and rejoice. Our feelings are tied to our surroundings, but our joy is tied to our hope in God. Therefore, our hope is secure because of God’s faithfulness. It is impossible to draw close to God and not have joy. Joy is one of the fruits (or evidences) of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22). That is not to say that we will always be happy. Life can be difficult, and we often are called to navigate through painful trials on our way to our promise. Our circumstances may not be perfect, but God’s will always is. Let us choose joy, regardless of whether the sun is shining or rain floods our lives. Happiness lives in the moment, but joy looks forward to eternity and rejoices in the promise. (Written by Keegan Harkins.)