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God of all Comfort

Our Highest Joy (Dealing with Sadness and Disappointment)

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ (II Corinthians 1:3-5 NASB).

Guarded Heart

I first saw my father drunk when my mother wasn’t at home. I was around ten years old and the oldest child. When I saw him stagger and fall, I couldn’t process the emotions. I felt numb. A few years later his drinking would cost him his job, his marriage and almost his life.

A trusted counselor once told me the armor I used to guard my heart as a kid served me well, but I’ve outgrown it now. I needed to learn how to explore and process some ancient pain. But I wasn’t really sure how.

The Difference Between Sadness and Disappointment

One of the characters in a novel I’m reading mentioned being disappointed with God. I don’t attribute my disappointment with God, but I do recognize the feeling of disappointment and wonder how it differs from sadness.

Research tells me sadness implies grieving something we’ve had and lost. Disappointment deals with the lost of the hope of something. The distinction seems helpful in sorting through some of the feelings of loss I still need to deal with.

Jesus is our Highest Joy, but Emotional Pain Shouldn’t be Ignored  

Our Highest Joy (Unmasking the Lie)

Though, as children of God, we’re hopefully growing in our heartfelt understanding that He Himself is what gives us lasting fulfillment, satisfaction and happiness, dealing with our emotional pain is very important. Exploring old wounds and freeing captured parts of our hearts can free us to enjoy the presence of the Lord more authentically.

In a recent journal entry, this is what I sense God was saying to me concerning my emotional pain: Don’t deny the sadness and disappointments in your life. Keep bringing it all to me. The old ones, the new ones. There’s hurt, but like light and salt heal physical wounds, there’s freedom and healing when you call Me near. I’m the God of all comfort. I want to bind every crevice of your broken heart with the Joy of My presence. To the extent you allow My Oil of Gladness in to soften and soothe your pain, true compassion will grow. And as the more hidden places in your heart are brought to My Life and Light, the more you’ll experience the Joy of us being together.

Challenge

Do you have sadness or disappointment which has caused or is causing great grief? Bring an especially painful one to mind. Have you denied the gravity of how this has affected you?  Have you minimized the impact to your own detriment and to the harm of others?

Though accessing this great pain may take your breath away, it may be time to unlock, deep crusted over parts of your heart, long ago abandoned. Ask Jesus to draw near. He is near to the broken hearted.[1]

Prayer

Lord, thank you for showing me how important it is to call you near in my sadness and disappointment. Thank you for showing me that denying my deep emotional pain is not what you intend. Some of these losses are extremely hard. My heart and eyes still sting when I embrace the magnitude of hurt and loss. But You are my Life. These feelings are not a surprise to you, Jesus. Isaiah described you as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.[2] You know my inner most parts. You knit me together.[3]

Amen.

Epilogue

Within hours after writing this, as I invited the Lord into deeper layers of my own sadness and disappointment, a sense of undefined discouragement began to creep in. This feeling lasted over a day. I felt zapped of strength, with little motivation to perform life’s normal duties. I’ve been told this mood is common-place for some folks. It’s rare for me and gives me an appreciation for those who battle depression.

Though I didn’t feel it, I clung desperately to what God says about His love for me. The next day, the cloud began to lift. I’m learning to believe God’s love and hold on to it, even when I don’t understand it or feel it.

The Lord appeared to him long ago, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you out with kindness (Jeremiah 31:3 NASB).

My father came to saving faith in Jesus Christ later in life. Though he struggled with his alcoholism even after his conversion, his eventual total dependence upon the Lord with his drinking problem led to sober living the last fifteen years of his life. Dad’s story

[1] Psalm 34:18

[2] Isaiah 53:3

[3] Psalm 139:13

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

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Choosing our Affection, Complete Joy, Eternal Gladness, God is our Life

Our Highest Joy (Unmasking the Lie)

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You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound (Psalm 4:7 NASB).

God Shaped Void

In the 1600s Bliase Pascal wrote that man’s cravings for true happiness can only be filled with an infinite, immutable object. He wrote that man tries in vain to fill this void with everything around him, seeking in (what is not) only what God Himself can give us. [1]  This came to be known as our God shaped void.

Solomon, known as the wisest man who ever lived, concluded that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. [2]

Deep within every human lies an unquenchable longing. Some have the means to try filling it with all the world has to offer, but coming up empty, they despair. Others hope the next accomplishment, relationship or pleasure will curb the longing. Unless awakened, folks keep on searching, endlessly hoping the next big thing will finally satisfy.

Awakened

Disillusioned, hopes crushed, my fragile world was crumbling around me. What I thought would bring lasting happiness left me disheartened, disappointed and empty. I felt like a failure – rejected and unloved.

This describes several “low” points in my life. I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God himself. At the time, I was  miserable. But looking back , I see these very hard times as severe mercies.[3] Each played a part in further dislodging me from an entrenched disillusionment. Only God Himself brings me the lasting satisfaction I so desperately desire.

Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward  Genesis 15:1b (NIV).

Deep Joy, the nectar our hearts were made far, can only me found in God Himself.

In Your presence is fullness of joy; Psalm 16:11b (NASB).

The Joy of God exudes from every sunset, every flower, every breathe.

I’m to draw near and stop trying to make happiness happen. I’m to take time to celebrate.

I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst (John 6:35 NASB).

If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:37b-38 NASB).

 Hidden Truth

There are forces at work to hide the fact that God Himself is our Highest Joy.  The world, enforced by Satan’s lies, can keep us pursuing fleeting pleasures to maintain fragile happiness. It is a moment by moment battle to keep our hearts centered on God for our fulfillment. These truths must move from things we believe as facts to principles we live by.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ  (II Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB).

These lies must be captured, thought by thought, and unmasked, revealing them for the hideous deceptions which they are. The truth is that only in Jesus Christ will we find the lasting satisfaction, fulfillment and the joy we were created to experience.

Prayer

Lord, I’m sorry for all I’ve chased after to try and satisfy the deep longings of my heart. Satisfaction can’t come from success because I’ve failed. It can’t come from pleasure because it quickly fades. It can’t come from people because they disappoint. It can’t come from trying to live a good life because I can’t.

You’ve given me so many things to enjoy: sunsets, puppies, flowers, ocean breezes, people I love, tea olives, chocolate, coffee, beaches and mountain streams. You are the Creator of it all. You alone are my Highest Joy. Only with You are other pleasures fully enjoyed. Apart from You, other pleasures can become addictions and idols. But with You, all moment by moment pleasures can erupt into praise for who You are and all You’ve provided for us to enjoy.

I delight in You Lord above all else. Please guard my heart.

Amen.

[1] Pensées, Blaise Pascal (Published in 1670 after his death)

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11b

[3] I first heard this term from a book entitled A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

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

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

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 a 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

Delighting in God's love, God's Eternal Purposes, Orienting my life from Heaven

What in the World am I doing for Heaven’s Sake?

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“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”  Philippians 3:20

Heavenly Minded

Recently I was re-minded that focusing on heaven is tremendously beneficial. Since, as believers in Jesus Christ, we’ve been raised up with Him and seated in heavenly places, orienting our lives from there can bring great comfort. In these troubled, unsteady times, we need a stable foothold.

When temporal trials bombard our souls, heaven can seem far away.  As we continue to fight through obstacles in our daily battles, how do we maintain an eternal perspective? How do we remain courageous and encourage those around us to do the same?

Embracing God’s Greater Story

One way to remain courageous when our hearts feel gloomy is to trust God’s higher purposes for our lives. He wants what’s best for us and our best doesn’t always include smooth, happy circumstances.

Jesus warned us about troubles in this life, but told us to take courage because He’s overcome the world.[1]

Even in extremely painful situations, we’re to trust. Jesus has promised never to leave us. The harder thing are, the deeper we cling to Him. He is our comfort. He’s entrusted us with each life situation. Nothing is a surprise to Him.  In our difficulties dependence can grow and idols can be surrendered.

Delighting in His Love

Another way to remain heavenly minded and to have an eternal affect on others is to trust and walk in the love of Christ.

God’s love for us, in Christ Jesus, is unchanging and beyond comprehension. When we feel rejected and unloved by people, the love of our Creator overshadows it all. Jesus tells us that He loves us as much as God the Father loves Him. He tells us to remain in His love by loving others as He’s loved us.  As this happens, His full joy is released in our lives. [2]

God’s love doesn’t fit in our minds. It’s everlasting[3] and beyond our knowledge.[4] Regardless of what’s coming against you right this moment, trust in God’s love for you. The love of Christ delights us like nothing on earth ever can.

Prayer

Lord,  since I’ve been raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places, I’m simultaneously positioned in two places. The more I orient my life from your purposes of conforming me to Christ, clarity grows. The more I trust in, rest in and delight in Your unchanging love, the more my heart is filled with Joy. Please help me be heavenly minded during the days of my life that I might be a blessing to all you bring my way.

Amen.

[1] John 16:33

[2] John 15:9-12

[3] Jeremiah 31:3

[4] Ephesians 3:14-19

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

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

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 a 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

Completely Loved, Free to Love

Longing Hearts

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“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted , And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NASB)

Holidays can be hard when we’re missing folks we love. Longings brought on by death, distance and estrangement are extenuated during times of togetherness and celebration. These situations affect most families. Common survival techniques include pretending, numbing and busyness. They don’t work.

As the holidays approach, I’ve been asking God for His comfort when people I love are absent. I’m asking for clarity and a deeper understanding of His love. I know He’s with me through all of life’s struggles, especially when my heart aches.

In the comfort of His nearness I’m learning:

God’s Love Fills Every Fiber of My Longing Heart

David wrote:

“My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”[1]

“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple.”[2]

“You have put gladness in my heart , More than when their grain and new wine abound.”[3]

As much as I miss folks who are absent, there’s a growing awareness of God’s nearness and His preeminent love. His love fills my longing heart to overflowing.

Henri Nouwen calls God’s love our first love and all other loves second. He says we get crushed when we begin to demand from lesser loves what only God can give.[4] “God has created you and me with a heart that only God’s love can satisfy. And every other love will be partial, will be real but limited, will be painful.”[5]

Human absence Deepens Dependence on God’s Love

Nouwen also said that if we’re willing to not let the pain of lesser loves make us bitter, it will prune us and give us a deeper sense of our being beloved by God. When this happens, we can be free as Jesus.[6]

As much as the absence of those we love can hurt,  it can drive us deeper into the unfailing love of God in Christ. This growing awareness of God’s unconditional, never ending love fortifies our longing hearts and infuses us with the Joy of God’s nearness.

Resting in God’s Love Frees us to Love

Jesus said, “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; Now remain in My love.” (John 15:9 NIV)

As I’m learning to walk in God’s love for me, soaking in the completeness of His embrace, He’s bringing freedom. Unchained from incapacitating grief, I can love the people who are near, as He’s loved me.

Lord, You’ve heard the pain of my longing heart. You’re teaching me of Your great love. Human love was never meant to satisfy. You complete me, freeing me to love with no expectations.  If I can’t be with the ones I love, allow me to love the ones I’m with.  

[1] Psalm 63:1

[2] Psalm 27:4

[3] Psalm 4:7

[4] Documentary – Journey of the Heart: Henri Nouwen

[5] The Hour of Power June 1992

[6] Documentary – Journey of the Heart: Henri Nouwen

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains