Tag Archives: joy

God's Eternal Purposes, God's Greater Story

(In the Moments) If God is with us, why are These Things Happening?

May 6, 2025 robuck4@aol.com Leave a comment

While sitting in a dungy cell, John the Baptist shifted from pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God to wondering if another should be expected.

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” (Matthew 11:2-3 NASB).

Jesus responded, telling John’s disciples to report to him that blind folks were seeing, the lame were walking, lepers were being cleansed, the dead were being raised, and the good news of the gospel was being preached to the poor. [1]

Then He said, “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me,” (Matthew 11:6 NASB).

Others have had similar confusion.

After the angel of the Lord said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” (Judges 6:12 NASB) He asked, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13b NASB)

Since God is good and powerful, it seems natural to expect His presence to produce pleasant times.

During our hard times, how do we keep from stumbling and keep on trusting? How do we keep on obeying and not become discouraged?

Blessed Are Those Who Don’t Take Offense

Jesus’ message to John the Baptist about folks being blessed when they don’t take offense at Him lets us know it’s possible to see things differently.

But how?

We get some ideas by reading what a couple of Jesus’ disciples wrote after years of following Him.

Peter

In fear of his life, Peter denied Christ three times, even with a curse. [2] Though he was one of Jesus’ closest disciples, he hadn’t yet grasped how God can use hard times to achieve something far greater than carefree days.

Around 40 years later, he wrote the following verses: In this (the fact that we have a constant hope, an inheritance which will never fail, and are guarded by God) you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (I Peter 1:6-9 NASB).

Through these years, God had been at work, through Peter’s own trials, to give him a new view of God’s ways for His children.

Peter learned that trials may be required to prove our faith and deepen our trust in God, that eventually these trials will cause praise, glory, and honor. He also learned that even during trials, there’s a significant reason for us to rejoice and have expressible joy.

Peter’s transformation is a miracle. And God is at work in us to achieve something similar.

Paul

Until Jesus radically intervened in his life, Paul thought he was doing God’s bidding by killing Christians.

Like Peter, Christ taught Paul how hard times can deepen his trust and build his relationship with God.

See what he wrote in 2nd Corinthians 1:8-9, “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction which occurred in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

It’s difficult to see the good when things are really hard, but Paul saw it took utter despair for him to learn to stop trusting in himself. The situation was so dire, he could only cry out to God. As a result, his faith grew.

Challenge

Like John the Baptizer, Gideon, Peter and Paul, we have and will face circumstances which seem beyond our abilities to endure.

What trial(s) are you going through right now?

Are you aware of God’s greater purpose for His children? He wants more for us than just happy circumstances.

When Paul tells us that God is working in all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes, he’s referring to something better than a tranquil life. God’s purposes are to give us the freedom and joy of being conformed into the image of Christ. [3]

There are profoundly sanctifying forces at work when we cling to Jesus during our pain. Trials loosen our grip on lesser loves, freeing us to fully enjoy Jesus, who never leaves us.

Trials can bring us joy because they develop endurance, which leads us to becoming complete, lacking nothing. They can show us we don’t need a life of ease to be joyful. [4]

Prayer

Lord, I’m sorry for ever assuming that being with You meant my life would be easy. I recognize that Your nearness is my good, not smooth circumstances, “For me, the nearness of God is my good.” (Psalm 73:28)

I know You love me and that You want me to enjoy the moments of my life with You, no matter what I face.

Though I would have never chosen the present trials in my life, I’m amazed at how I love You with greater ferocity because You’re using them to dislodge idols from my heart.

Please continue to show me anything and anyone I’ve chosen instead of You. Free me of these, I pray.

I love you.

Amen

[1] Matthew 11:2-5

[2] Matthew 26:74

[3] Romans 8:28-29

[4] James 1:2-4

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

Escaping the Rat Race

When I don’t Feel God’s Loving Kindness

Experiencing Completeness in Christ

Overcoming Pain Through Faith

Recalibrating Our Hearts

The Joy of Waiting

On the Fifth Day God Created Dog

When Things get Really Hard

A No Lose Situation, Even with Cancer

Hey Pop

Mustering Our Faith

Lord, You’ve Got to this. I Can’t

Better Than Life

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

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Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.

For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy in the Midst, Not Allowing Troubles to be the Main Thing

(In the Moments) Better Than Life

May 1, 2025 robuck4@aol.com Leave a comment

Our family beach trip is a tradition we all look forward to every summer. Over the last few years, we’ve been to Wilmington, NC, Saint Simon Island and Tybee Island, Georgia, Saint Augustine, Florida and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, not in that order.

A couple of years ago landed us at Fripp Island, a place of natural beauty, near Port Royal Sound in southeastern South Carolina. This land of abundant wildlife features long stretches of beach and picturesque marshland.

Speaking of wildlife, the deer aren’t afraid of humans. Every morning they’d come up to our house looking for their breakfast of cereal, handed out by our grandkids.

We took walks along the surf, rode bikes, explored the island on a golf cart, and attended a beach worship service. We celebrated our four August birthdays, played games, enjoyed the surf, played disc golf, and went out to eat.

And we rested, my favorite part.

From the comments I’ve gotten, we all feel as if our time at Fripp was one of our best yet.

But our time was not without its share of significant troubles. We had a jelly fish bite, a tick bite, a dog bite, and my son-in-law’s golf cart broke down. And, to top it all off, I had a near life altering eye injury, spending the last few hours of our vacation in emergency rooms and on an operating table in Charleston.

The trip was a true microcosm of life. Troubles happen. Despite our best efforts, some difficulties are unavoidable. It may sound strange, but the problems we faced, and the way we loved each other through them, added to the depth and quality of our time together.

Troubles weren’t the focus. The fellowship was. The difficulties didn’t destroy what we experienced. In fact, they gave opportunities for expressions of love, which would not have been possible without the hard times.

I want to take the richness of our beach experience and see what I can apply to all of life and the troubles we face.

After all, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NASB). “

I am With You

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus addressed his disciples, urging them to be courageous. Even though he was leaving them physically, His Holy Spirit would be their constant companion. Following are a couple of examples of what He said.

16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18-20 NASB)

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:26-27 NASB)

Jesus is with us. He commanded us to be courageous, not to let our hearts be troubled, to embrace His peace, and not to be afraid.

Our trials are not a surprise to God. He is at work in them for His greater purposes. God is conforming us into the image of Christ. [1] He is freeing us from the need to rely on the world for our joy, [2] showing us He Himself is our Great Reward [3] and our Highest Joy [4].

God reigns over every difficulty in our lives. Though God is not the author of evil, He uses our trials to produce endurance and to loosen our grip on the illusion of worldly satisfaction. [5]

The Lord desires for us to turn to Him for comfort, strength, courage, and peace during every trial.