Radiant With Joy

“I sought the LORD, and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces are never covered with shame.”

Psalm 34:4-5

In the midst of our struggles we can experience joy. This concept is so counterintuitive. Obviously we should be happy when things are going well, and unhappy when life isn’t going our way. But when we seek God—when we place our faith in Him—our perspective changes. We find that God delivers us from the fears that keep us teetering from happiness to sadness and back, depending on our circumstances.

When we look to God, we acknowledge that He is bigger than everything around us. We find hope when we realize He loves us and has a plan for us. This hope frees us from fear to be able to live with joy. Whether we face the loss of a job, illness of our own or a loved one, uncertainty about the future, or a broken or unrealized dream, we can experience joy by resting in the hope God places deep within our hearts. In my own trials I have found that though I have felt heartache or frustration, I could still find a sense of hope because of all that God has given me in Christ. Joy is the outward expression of this depth of hope. This radiant joy can come from nowhere else, but the Lord! Let’s look to Him always!

Meredith