Bishop Wills Journal Entry for August 14, 2007 - Joy In The Morning

S: John 16: 22. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

O: Even in hard times, the Lord comes to us and gives us a joy no one can take away.

A: This morning I can remember some very hard times in ministry. The more personal I felt the pain, the more I did not feel the presence of the Lord with me. You would think I would have fallen away from faith. In fact, before I started reading scripture each morning for more than just writing a sermon, I did feel the Lord was absent.

Here is what reading scripture has taught me about personal suffering. In my hardest times, especially with physical pain, when I felt the absence of the Lord, I knew from scripture the Lord had not left me alone in my suffering. When I did not have the energy to pray, I knew the Lord understood and I also knew others were praying for me. I have learned the presence of the Lord does not depend on my feelings.

When in suffering times I know the Lord is with me because the scripture tells me not to depend on my own feelings. The Lord has given me a joy which is deep in my soul. When my suffering lessons, the joy comes pouring out of my soul.

Nothing can take away the joy I have found in choosing to be a follower of Jesus. Even in the hardest times of personal pain, the joy is deep within me even though, at the moment, I do not seem to recognize it. I believe the joy comes as one who has given my life to becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

I have just come through a time of personal pain. As the pain has gone away, I have felt the joy deep within me come pouring out. I am so grateful, this morning, to be a follower of Jesus and I ask the Lord just to allow me to be part of what he is blessing.

It is true: no one can take away the joy I have found as a follower of Jesus.

P: Father thank you for walking through this recent time of pain. Thank you for the joy of being allowed to be a follower of your Son, Jesus the Christ. Thank you for the joy which overflows in my being this morning. Love, Dick

Y: I yield my despair and pain because I know there is a joy deep within me which will bubble into my present time.