How did that get in there? Perhaps you can relate to putting something in the most unlikely of places. I have heard stories of this happening and have almost done this myself on more than one occasion. I once walked to the laundry room with the intent of putting the milk away in the cabinet. It sounds ridiculous, but it happened. I read a story once where a woman put her keys in the freezer and had no recollection of doing so, which caused a problem as her family could not venture out of their home because of the missing keys. Distractions can cause us to do things we did not intend.

Life is full of distractions. The cares of this world with the heightened level of hostility and unnecessary divisiveness can wear on us all. It can be tiring day in and day out hearing chatter about impending chaos, disaster, disease, and death while not knowing who to trust with credible information. In this age of sophisticated technology, one click on a news story leads to another click and then to multiple clicks until we find ourselves deep in the rabbit hole, deciding whether to drink the potion, go through the door, and after the white rabbit. Emotions are set on fire by the perceived assault and looming threats on liberties we cherish. Other concerns can weigh on us as well, and while our passions are fueled by such things in this world, which more times than not make us all susceptible to becoming warriors behind a keyboard or behind closed doors, we may not realize metaphorically that the joy of His salvation has been placed in the freezer while trying to deal with fear and frustration in this fallen world. We may find ourselves discontent and tired of it all while trying to remember, “Where is the joy I once had in the Lord? I know it is here somewhere. Where did it go?” I use this analogy to encourage those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ to not be cast down and weary. We simply need to remember our joy and strength come not from within ourselves, but our joy and strength come from Jesus Christ.

It is easy to list off all the things discouraging us on a daily basis. What does the Bible have to say about the joy of His salvation? In Psalm 13:5-6, David encourages himself in the Lord when speaking of his enemies wanting to prevail over him, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me.” When David sinned against the Lord by his conduct with Bathsheba and her husband, he cried out to God, knowing that his sin had broken fellowship with God, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Notice how this is the joy of His salvation. This is God’s work in us. Peter encourages fellow believers by saying to them, “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.” (1 Peter 1:8) Paul reminds Roman believers of their exaltation to God through Jesus Christ because it is through Him believers receive reconciliation. (Romans 5:11) We have a reason to rejoice as believers in Christ Jesus. It is because of Him that we have the promise of eternal life and of now being children of God rather than children of wrath. Though we face difficulty in this world, we have joy because of Christ. He has overcome the world. This is a joy the world can neither remove nor reprove, and that should bring us great comfort.

Secure in the Savior

I am an American, and I am thankful to be an American. However, the identity which takes precedent over my nationality is in being a follower of Jesus Christ. There is great joy in His salvation and trusting in His promise of eternal life. It is secure in Him. When I think about the unmerited mercy, grace, and steadfast love He has given unto me, my soul sings with gratitude and praise. It would be wonderful if this was a perpetual state, but truth be told at times, I am tired. I grow tired of hearing about lockdowns and mandates. I grow weary of the petty and unfruitful arguments from our national, state, and local leaders, the hatred toward our fellow man, the loss of human life on many levels, and the attempts to indoctrinate children with perversion and beliefs hostile to Almighty God. I am tired of illogical arguments contradicting not only good common sense but those which suppress the truth about God while thumbing noses at the Maker of heaven and earth. It is grieving to see wickedness and deception abound outside the church as well as within while watching so many professing believers in Christ cave to society’s definitions and demands. It seems the fear of offending man has outweighed the fear of offending God. Compounded with this are personal things we all face at times. Truly the cares of this world can attempt to rob us of fellowship with the Lord, but it need not be that way.

And what if our rights and our freedoms here in America continue to erode and are taken away from us? Frankly, I like having freedom and being able to exercise my freedom. The thought of losing those freedoms is concerning. But the greatest freedom is not found in this temporal world, and the state of this world is proving this very thing. True freedom is only in salvation in Christ alone. True joy is in the Lord, resting in His promise of reconciliation and eternal life paid in full by His death, burial, and resurrection. The joy of His salvation allows us to be a light in a dark world. I pray if the worst things imaginable happen in my lifetime, those of us who are in Christ will rejoice in His salvation and in the absolute truth of freedom in Christ. Beloved, do not get distracted by the things of this world. Jesus prayed that His joy may be fulfilled in those who are His (John 17:13). If your joy has been on ice so to speak in these uncertain times, be reminded and encouraged to rejoice in His salvation that is certain and secure. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Proclaim the gospel. We truly have a reason to rejoice, no matter how dark this world may appear.

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