Tag: joy

Drained. Strengthened. Compelled.

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There’s one verse about David, a man who lived in biblical times, that I always liked, but never understood.  

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. 1 Samuel 23:16, NASB

I had an experience that helped me better understand this verse. But first, let me tell you about David.

What Happened to David

A lot. David had an awesome day where he killed a giant and saved the lives of his fellow Israelites. After that battle, he was invited to work for Saul, the king himself. That’s where he met Jonathan, the king’s son, and they developed a deep friendship.

As David worked in the king’s army, he was successful in every mission. He became a high ranking official and incredibly popular.

But, Saul started to become jealous and afraid of David. David’s success showed that God was helping David, but He was no longer helping Saul. Saul’s fear became so intense, that he tried to kill David a bunch of times. Once, when Jonathan defended David to the king, Saul tried to kill Jonathan—his own son.

Saul was determined to kill David and anyone who helped him. In fact, Saul killed 85 priests after they gave David supplies. David ran from country to wilderness to country, trying to escape. In some places he was almost betrayed by the people who were hiding him. He was physically and emotionally exhausted.

“David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.” 1 Samuel 23:14-16

Drained

I had an emotionally draining day—one where a lot of little stressors piled on top of each other and sapped my emotional and physical strength. Unfortunately, I did not have time to be emotionally drained; it was my turn to help lead an online Bible study for young adults.

As I got ready, I tried to talk some energy and strength into myself. I recited Bible verses like “the joy of the Lord is my strength” and prayed for God to strengthen me. Most times, this helps right away, but this time, not so much.

6:15 pm came, and I plopped myself in front of my computer to help lead this group. I usually meet with some friends (and co-leaders) a few minutes before the rest of the group comes. We have known each other for almost two years, so we’ve gotten pretty close. Even so, I was debating whether or not to tell them how I was truly feeling. I did not want “bleed on them” or to take away from our preparation time by talking about my problems. Aren’t we all facing stressful situations?

I found myself telling them that I had one of those days, and was still struggling.

Encouraged

Each of my friends prayed for me that evening — asking Jesus to strengthen me and for other, beautiful things that I don’t remember. As each friend prayed, I felt myself getting stronger and stronger. When they finished, I felt great! The change was too quick and drastic to be natural; my friends helped me to find strength in God. 

When the rest of the group joined us, we talked more about life in general and what it means to be known by others and by God. Talking with friends about God and His Word encouraged me even more. By the time we finished our meeting, I was craving time with God. After everyone left the meeting, I was compelled to continue spending time with Jesus by singing along to worship music.

Jonathan Helped David Find Strength in God

Maybe this is what the Bible means when it says the Jonathan helped David find strength in God. David had been going hard and facing a lot of uncertainty for what I’m sure felt like unending days. He needed help to get what he needed from God.

That day, I needed strength from God, but could not get there on my own. My friends prayed for me and helped turn my thoughts toward who God is, which pushed me even closer to Jesus and finding strength in Him.

My Prayer for You

When you cannot experience Jesus’ joy or peace or strength yourself, I pray that the people around you would help you to find strength in Jesus. When you are strong, I pray that you are that person for others.

Life Lesson: When you can’t get to Jesus on our own, we need friends who will help us find strength in Him.

Pursue Joy

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“You haven’t smiled in months,” my mother tells me. I think she was right. There were a number of things wrong at the time.

I thought back to my freshman year of college, my first time living away from home. When I felt lonely, miserable, or like “blah” as I liked to call it, I called my mom. Her usual questions were, “Have you played the piano today? The guitar? Done anything musical? Why don’t you hang out with a friend?”

So, I would drag myself out of my dorm room, go to the dining hall, and inevitably run into friends. We’d talk and laugh, watch movies, or play ping-pong. Other times, I went to the music hall, played the piano for an hour or so, then went to the dining hall and met up with friends. These things brought me joy.

Years later, the same problem has returned, but its prolonged, “You haven’t smiled in months.”

Here are the remedies I have discovered:

Call a friend. In junior year of undergrad, going to the dining hall to run into friends didn’t work anymore. Most of them had apartments, and others were studying abroad. I had to schedule times to share a meal with my peers. Similarly, now my friends have different work schedules, family commitments, and live in different states. We’ve found it best to schedule a time to talk.

Play the piano. That’s a source of joy for me. Maybe yours is drawing, coding or gaming. If whatever it is has been neglected for a while, carve out some time and pick it up again. I got new music and started playing the piano more often. What can you do?

Be creative. That is part of how Boundless Joy was born, as a way to reignite my passion for creativity, to grow as a writer, work on a website, a little graphic design, and to plan something fun just for me.

Coming back to these sources of joy has also reignited my passion for them.

Life Lesson: Pursue joy!

**You may notice that I did not say “pursue happiness.” Happiness comes and goes, but joy lasts through life’s ups and downs.