1 Peter 1:6 “In all this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.”
There comes a turning point at each time of the year, it occurs right around the time of my youngest son’s birthday; it’s the middle of October and the fall leaves are beginning to gather up on the driveway. You know the time of year I’m talking about, where you walk in to Costco and they’ve got all the Christmas decorations out, fake trees, wrapping paper, ornaments, European cookies, chocolate and toys, lots of magnificent toys. A sprit of heaviness comes over me as I consider the holidays, another Thanksgiving, another Christmas without my precious Elisha. It’s almost as if I resent the fact that the holidays are staring me in the face yet again, time goes by so quickly, doesn’t it? It’s only been nine years since the death of my child and yet there is a fear in the pit of my stomach that I’ve already forgotten him. Significant dates have come and gone and even though it seems so wrong to celebrate these milestones without him, and soon we will be, enjoying my youngest son’s 28th birthday, but it is overshadowed by the fact that Elisha is not here to celebrate with us. We do little quirky things that he used to do; we say funny little words that he used to say, and we each honor his memory in our own little ways, but the truth is, our joy has been diminished by our grief.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” Rejoice always. The theme of these scriptures, tells us we are to be exceedingly glad, exuberantly jubilant, and to possess the kind of joy that is not based on changing, temporary circumstances, but is a joy that comes from the unchanging, eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father. Pray continually. This does not mean to throw up a prayer when the going gets tough, or to pray repetitiously as if reciting a poem, but to pray persistently, just like breathing; it should come naturally; you don’t even have to think about it; you are in constant communication with our Lord and uninterrupted communion with the Holy Spirit. And finally, we are to give thanks in all circumstances, to offer up a sacrifice of praise even when we are deep in the valley of the shadow of death, where we can fall on Jesus, the Rock of our salvation, the Living God, who gives us hope even when there is none.
Nancy Leigh DeMoss in her book, “Choosing Gratitude,” says, “And in my heart I waved the white flag and said, ‘Yes Lord. I am willing to go with You all the way on this journey of choosing gratitude. I don’t want to be just ‘grateful enough’ to keep up appearances. By Your grace I want to put the axe to the root of every vestige of complaining, and become a radically thankful woman.’” In our verse today, Peter teaches us several important principles about “various trials” and “troubles.” 1) Trouble does not last (“little while”), 2) trouble serves a purpose (“if necessary”), 3) trouble brings turmoil (“grieved”), 4) trouble comes in various forms (“trials”) and 5) trouble should not diminish the Christian’s joy (“rejoice”). Oh how I want to praise and worship our Lord, even in the midst of difficulty, even when facing the holidays, and especially when I don’t feel like it. Rejoicing is a choice, thankfulness is a choice and considering Jesus above all else, above all of the sorrows, above all of the brokenness, above all of the grief, above all of the busyness of the season, looking to Him is a moment-by-moment choice. And so today, I will be committed to this process of sanctification with all of my heart set on this journey of gratitude and I am willing to go beyond my circumstances and say, worthy are you, Lord, my Savior, my King, my Rock, my Strength, my Peace, the Hope of my salvation.
– Melody
