Thursday Devotional - Certainty

Very few things are certain in this life. As much as I would like to assure James and Sarah that we will always be a family, I can’t guarantee that.

The other day James said he thought he was going to live with his former foster mom forever, but he is living with us. Then, he said he wondered when he was going to go live somewhere else, but he lives with us. He seemed to be verbally processing things and answering his own questions. At the end of his discussion, I told him we planned to be a family and stay together for the foreseeable future. I wanted to reassure him without promising anything I couldn’t guarantee. I CAN guarantee that God will take care of him!

As Jesus reassured His disciples right before His departure, He guaranteed certain promises. As we read last week, one was the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Him the disciples could experience joy in all situations. Here, Jesus promised that no one can take that joy away!

John 16:20-22         ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

What trouble or uncertainty are you facing? Do you believe Jesus can turn your grief into joy? As Kent talked about yesterday, through the Holy Spirit we have access to everlasting joy that no one can take away! Are you and I living in that reality? God’s promises are the only things that are certain.

Alice