March 25: Grief will turn to joy
John 16:16-33 TNIV from Biblegateway.com
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Devotional Comments:
Do you ever feel tension with those who do not believe?
My friend grew up with a different religion. To watch her, you would think she knows God. She is kind and loving, but a personal relationship Jesus is not part of her life. Recently she was deeply hurt at her workplace. She is now warning me to protect myself from similar trials at my work. I assure her that she needn’t worry about me because I have Jesus in my life. I live my life for him and therefore he carries me through everything, my joys and my troubles.
She didn’t understand. She told me that she didn’t do her job for herself either, she did it for the children she teaches, but people still hurt her. When she said this I realized the difference: Jesus was the difference! It is my prayer that my friend will come to realize that Jesus is what she is missing. He is waiting to carry her through her trials too and to turn her pain into joy.
So when you experience trouble in the world, like my friend did, I encourage you to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. Then you will have peace in Him.
Isa Sinclair
Pray specifically for your neighbours, co-workers and friends.