SAD or GLAD?

I mentioned in our last post (“Train Watching” – 1/14/19) how Paul and Silas’ songs of praise, while in the deepest dungeon of the prison, directly affected everyone around them.  If you recall, the scripture reference was found in Acts 16:25-26 where the incident is recounted by Luke when he wrote, “But at midnight as Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them, then suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.” (Jubilee Bible)

Well, I couldn’t get that thought out of my mind and woke up this morning thinking about it.  I remembered the story in the book of Nehemiah in chapters seven and eight when the prophet Nehemiah led a contingent of the Children of Israel back to the now decimated city of Jerusalem after a time of captivity.  It should have been a time of great rejoicing and merry making but instead the people began to cry and wail as Ezra the priest read from the book of the law to them.

Nehemiah knew that this was not a time to be SAD but GLAD and spoke to the people saying: “Go, eat rich foods, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who cannot provide for themselves. Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don't be sad because the joy you have in the LORD is your strength.  So the Levites calmed all the people by saying, "Listen. Today is a holy day. Don't be sad."  (Nehemiah 8:10-11 God’ Word ©)

One important lesson I have learned over the years is that there are definite times to be GLAD (or full of expressive joy) and a few times to be SAD.  Believe me as I have been fighting that battle extensively over the last four months since the passing of my wife.  I also know that the SAD times should be on the temporary side of life while the JOYFUL times should be more of a lifestyle among those of us who trust in the Lord.

Scriptures like Psalms 28:7 and Proverbs 17:22 along with a plenitude of others, give credence to that statement.  The Psalmist declared: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song I will praise him,” while the writer in Proverbs boldly stated: “ A joyful heart shall do good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Jubilee Bible) 

Now, as far as one’s JOY affecting those around you goes… Well…I had to learn this the hard way!  I’ve written on many occasions of how that JOY was an active part of Piper’s and my relationship and lifestyle.  It was an automatic default that we fell back on whenever the tough situations of life came upon us.  But… When we first came back from Oklahoma and the devastating diagnosis of Piper’s health began to become clear, everything in my life seemed to spiral downhill in almost an instant… and I found myself alone, without the discerning wisdom of my lifelong partner to help me make the difficult decisions and stay full of JOY, for the first time in some 39 years!

During those first three or four years I tried my best to keep up my JOY.  I did figure out real quick that my level of JOY depended upon our level of the Word that we put into us on a daily basis.  But it was still hard!  I discovered that it was a lot easier to be JOYFUL around strangers out in public and with the many new doctors we began to visit than around some close to us.  I mean, we had a checker at our local Safeway that went out of her way every time she saw us in the store to come over and talk to us, and Piper in particular.  There was also a Pharmacy Technician at CVS that did the same and spent literally hours helping us on the phone with our doctors and insurance company in straightening out all the new prescriptions that Piper needed to take.

But some close to us found it a lot easier though, to be SAD instead of GLAD when it came to dealing with Piper’s condition.  And I admit that I didn’t help the situation much in those early days.  I just expected things to be different, was frustrated, confused and hurt and it took awhile to understand the situation and what I needed to do to not only keep up our JOY but to protect my wife from the way the SADNESS physically affected her.  I did finally learn to keep a smile on my face, and a positive and JOYFUL attitude.  I also figured out that in order to help alleviate the pressure, I needed to be very selective in the information I shared.

Once we moved out here though, it was different.  In a new place, with new friends and acquaintances (along with a lot of personal growth, understanding, and trust in the Lord and His Word) it was easier to be JOYFUL, even during the times when Piper’s needs were greatly multiplied.  I also began to realize how my JOY came with an anointing of peace that quickly helped others in our presence to relax and lean toward the faith that we were projecting.   

The Hebrew definition for the word “SAD” in Nehemiah 8:10 is “to fabricate or fashion something in a bad sense; to worry or to be angry or to grieve.” (Strong’s)  That explanation helps us to understand why SADNESS can have such a devastating effect if left to continue.  As I read that in my study time yesterday, a light went on in my head and I suddenly understood why the SADNESS we encountered was so overwhelming toward us… especially in the early stages of our battle when we were still sorting things out and just beginning to fold in specific elements of God’s Word into our daily stand of faith and action plan.

I also realized that SADNESS can affect those around it in a negative way just as does JOY in an uplifting and positive manner when projected through an individual or group.  But you know?  If I understand the Word correctly, then I know that JOY is part of the fruit or nature of the Spirit and is a vital part of the born-again Christian. (See Galatians 5:22)  Therefore, JOY contains the life and light of God and according to John 1:4-5 this light “shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.”

Now, don’t get me wrong.  There are times in our lives to be SAD, (as I have been dealing with concerning the pain of losing of my wife), but it is not to be a lifestyle and/or a defense mechanism or default setting in order to not have to step up and deal with the situations of life. Trust in God and His Word is the answer to the SAD times.  It is that trust and the JOY in the hope and expectation that it develops in us is that is the key to making it through the hard times of life successfully.

Is it always easy?  I would say emphatically NO!  But from my personal experience, I would say that it ALWAYS does seem to work!  So, go for it!  Don’t just TRY IT but DO IT!  Turn that frown upside down, put your TRUST into HIM and His Word and let His JOY begin to percolate in and through you unto others today!  Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, laugh with me and say… “I am expecting the JOY of the Lord to be my strength today!”