Todd Johnson
Family Pastor
John 16:22
“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
This verse is from the passage in John where Jesus is telling His disciples that He will be gone for a little while and then back and then with the Father. They are confused by what Jesus was saying to them. For me, the part of this verse that really encourages my heart is when Jesus says, “no one will take your joy from you.” If Jesus says it, it’s true. No matter how grim your situation may be, no one can take the joy that comes from knowing Jesus away from you.
I love when I read words like rejoice and joy in the Bible. I will usually highlight them so the words will stick out when I am looking back over the scriptures. There is so much sadness and despair in today’s world and if you are a believer, you hold the key to unshakable joy. We need to take this to those around us, share our faith with those who are lost. I don’t know how I could have survived these last few years without the steady peace and joy from my Savior. I long for the day that I will meet Jesus face to face, but until then, I need to do a better job of living in the joy that He gives me and being bold in telling others about Him.
The Christmas season is a great time to be more intentional to share your faith. People’s hearts seem to be a little softer during the holidays. Let’s rejoice that our Savior was born many years ago, lived a perfect life, died a horrific death, and was raised to new life so that we can have the gift of eternal life with the Father. Remember, no one or nothing can steal your joy so lean into it and share it with others around you.