There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine.
"I know that you think there is no room for joy in the great sorrows of your life. You think joy and sorrow are mutually exclusive. But as you live in me, you're discovering that great sorrow actually creates the capacity for deeper joy.
What can possibly be the source of joy in the midst of great loss? The joy comes in finding out that when the rubber hits the road, the faith you have given lip service to for so long is now put into action, and it is the real deal. You get to live it out. Faith moves from being an intellectual exercise to a personal adventure.
When you choose to trust instead of fear, real faith is revealed. When you choose to accept rather than complain, forgive rather than indulge in resentment, be humble rather than prove you were right -- the curtain is pulled back on your life and your faith is proved genuine.
I'm finding joy, Lord, even in the hard places of my life as I'm discovering that I'm not a hypocrite. The faith I have claimed is real, and it makes a difference in how I respond to hardship…"
-Nancy Guthrie, AbundantLife, February 4
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