By Dan Eakin
I have heard many people say that Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters marched to the capitol, was a sad day in America.
It was. A lot of things happened that day that shouldn’t have happened.
But what many people were saying got me to thinking: It’s a sad time in America.
To name a few examples, it’s a sad time in America:
- — When thousands of people are suffering from and dying from COVID and other diseases every day.
- — When thousands of people are out of work and can’t pay their rent or utility bills.
- — When thousands of classes of students are interrupted because students or teachers have tested positive for COVID or been exposed to someone who has.
- — When the majority of registered voters appear to believe that the murder of unborn children should continue to be legal and vote for candidates who agree with them.
- — When most Americans no longer think of Sunday as the Lord’s Day.
- — When Bible reading and prayer are no longer allowed in our public schools and Christian school teachers are not allowed to sh are their faith with students.
And so on….
However, this column is not primarily about sad times. It is about finding joy in sad times.
There are many ways in which believers in Christ can find joy even in the saddest of times. Here are some.
- 1. Find joy in the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10: The joy of the Lord is your strength. If you know the Lord and know that he loves you and is with you no matter what, there is joy.
- 2. Just as you find joy when you are in the presence of others that you love, you can find joy when you spend time in prayer and sense that the Lord is with you. Psalm 16:11: In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
- 3. Find joy in the Word of God. People who love to read the Bible find joy as they read about God’s love for us, and his promises to provide and protect those who love him. Psalm 23. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet, yet he found joy in the Word of God: Jeremiah 15:16: Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy words were unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts!
- 4. Find joy in having friends. Sad times or difficult times are often times when we find out who our friends really are. Our true friends will stand with us no matter what and sad times can become times when we are drawn closer to one another. No one but Christ went through more difficult times than the apostle Paul. He wrote to the Thessalonians and told them “For ye are our glory and joy.”
- 5. Find joy even in trials. James 1:2,3: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Also, James 1:12 tells us that when we endure testings that a reward will follow. No matter what the test, always remember that God who loves us will always make a way for it to turn out for our good. Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.”
Dan Eakin is a native of DeQueen, Arkansas. He has been an ordained Baptist minister for 60 years and has pastored churches all across North East Texas and Southeast Oklahoma