Are you in prison? You are probably not literally behind bars, but your circumstances may make you feel as if you are. Don't despair; it will not last. It is ordained by God and is designed either for your current witness or future usefulness. He is refining you and molding you into His image, the exact likeness of His crucified Son.
Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004), entry for April 22.
Circumstances. I've heard it said that Happiness is due to circumstances, joy comes from within. However, in Psalm 30:5 (which is the verse the Lord spoke to me Friday), the psalmist says, "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Joy comes in the morning...wouldn't that mean that joy is also, in a way, circumstantial? I mean, joy and mourning are dependent upon whether it is night or day?
That's actually an encouraging thought to me--because I have felt, many times, that i should have joy in the midst of my circumstances, and when I am still sad, I start feeling like I am not a good enough Christian, that maybe I don't love the Lord as much as I thought I did.
But, no, that is not it at all. Weeping lasts through the night, and yet, through God's favor, joy will come in the morning. The JOY in the midst of your circumstance is found in the FAITH that morning will come, joy will truly come, that night cannot and will not last forever. Joy is found in God's favor.
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