Life is unpredictable. Our circumstances, environment, emotions can change around us in the blink of an eye. I'm sitting now in a period in my life where my circumstances honestly couldn't be any better. I'm sitting at the start of my sophomore year at Texas A&M in a beautiful blue house full of 3 wonderful, Christ-seeking, encouraging, joyful girls. I'm apart of a great biblical church that is thoroughly walking through my favorite book of the Bible--James-- with me. I get to babysit for a wonderful family that is constantly pouring into me, and I'm honestly excited about my classes and the organizations I'm going to be a part of this year. There've been many moments in the past two weeks that I've just been literally overwhelmed with happiness.
Emotion in life is temporary. You can literally feel on top of the world one second, and crash into sadness the next. It's dependent on circumstance. On your surroundings. On what life is throwing you at the present moment. A natural reaction in me based on my circumstance is to run to God and lean on Him solely in tough times, but to almost feel like it's me whose got it all under control in the good times. That I'm doing alright on my own. False. A lot of people I know are opposite from that. We can tend to praise God in full when the blessings are reigning down-- but then blame Him, turn in anger when they're not. When it's suffering we meet right in the face. Both of these mindsets are dependent on the what's changing around us. When we turn from God in anger or in pride, we're denying Him of His full character. The Lord is constant; He is faithful is His own timing. As followers of the King we can rely on the constant promises He's made those who are seeking Him. We can draw from the never-failing joy that's ours.
"The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish." -Proverbs 10:28
If we sit in expectation of the Lord, as if He owes us something, as if the sovereign Lord owes me-- a broken human who runs towards worldly pleasures-- anything at all, we will indeed perish.
But rather if I can draw from the fact that the Lord walks right with me through the good and the bad, and is not the dealer of circumstance but rather the healer of the sinner going through circumstance, we can begin to see Him as a friend instead of a controller.
Even in the midst of immense trial and tribulation-- joy can be drawn from the constant King-- and a hope in eternity after death. An eternity in which all tears and trials will no longer exist, and we can join in praise and pure joy for the rest of our days. Consider your current troubles and triumphs as simply a gust of wind that passes quickly, and draw your strength and joy from what's coming. From the Lord who has got your back like no other.
So as I walk through the stresses of college classes, and busyness, and the blessings I've received this year-- I'll strive to draw my joy from my Maker alone.
