Waiting with Joy
Written by Julie Taylor
"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
- Isaiah 35:10
Advent is all about waiting for something to happen. Joy is all about trusting God to fulfill His promises. We wait for many things on this earth with no guarantee that they will ever come.
After decades of waiting, the Israelites were able to joyfully return to Jerusalem after being exiled in Babylon. In this verse, Isaiah also prophesies of what is yet to come when Jesus returns as King. On that first Christmas many years ago, the Messiah’s birth brought joy for all people after generations of waiting (Luke 2:10-11). Today, we wait for the day our King will come again to gather His children to Himself and make all things new. On that day, every sorrow we feel on this earth will forever be gone. God’s fulfilled promises will leave us with glorious gladness and everlasting joy, with which we will worship Him in song.
Maybe you are waiting in the midst of a deep sorrow this advent season and joy seems out of reach. Ask Jesus for the grace to face those trials with joy so that your faith may grow in endurance and spiritual maturity (James 1:3-4). Use the ache of your sorrow to fuel your trust and dependence on Jesus. Our sorrows are deep, yet temporary. Joy, a fruit of the Spirit within His children, is eternal.
PRAYER: Lord, as we experience the struggles of this life, help us wait through our sorrows with joy as we trust in Your faithfulness to fulfill Your promises. Amen.
