JESUS SPEAKING
“Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore, you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16: 19 – 22)
FAITHFUL THOUGHTS
Jesus prophesied that after His crucifixion He would remain buried until His resurrection on the third day. During this time His followers endured terrible confusion, sorrow, and doubt. When He did rise from the dead and appeared to them in the flesh, their faith was restored. As promised, they were filled with a supernatural joy. An enduring peace that could never be taken away from them, no matter the circumstance.
In the 1800s there lived an American Missionary to Burma named Adoniram Judson. Like most missionaries he endured many hardships. One day, on furlough, he returned to England and was walking through the town of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy was playing near the wharves when he encountered Mr. Judson. He was struck by the man’s appearance. He had never before seen such a light on any human face. He fetched a minister to come and inform him of who the stranger was. When the minister arrived, he became so absorbed in conversation with Judson that he forgot all about the impatient boy standing near him. Many years later, that boy, who could never get away from the influence of that wonderful face became a famous preacher named Henry Clay Trumbull. In a book of his memoirs he penned a chapter entitled: “What a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson.” That missionaries lighted countenance had changed his life.
Like Adoniram Judson, only those who have faith in the resurrection of Christ from the dead can walk with eternal joy. For if Christ did not rise we have no hope. The disciples who saw Him in the flesh were transformed by their encounter. If we embrace the resurrection, then the light of Christ will shine through us as well.
“Lord heavenly Father, may we possess great faith in Your Son’s resurrection. May we be transformed by this truth and seek to carry the gospel to all those who are lost. Give us the strength to endure hardships with joy, knowing that You are our inheritance. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of You!
