But Your Grief Will Be Turned Into Joy
Scripture Passage: John 16:16-24 (NASB)
16 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. 21 Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
23 In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
SUMMARY
Jesus tells His disciples that in a little while they will not see Him, then in a little while they will see Him again. The disciples tell Jesus they do not understand what Jesus means by that and He tells them that they will weep while the world rejoices, but their grief will turn to joy. Jesus explains further by comparing their grief to the pain of a woman in labor soon to be forgotten by the joy of giving birth. Then, Jesus tells His disciples to ask the Father in Jesus’ name for anything so they will receive and have their joy be made full.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Jesus is patient and compassionate in explaining everything to His disciples, who are troubled by the imminent departure of Jesus. Jesus explains it in many ways so that they will understand. He compared their grief to the pain of a woman in labor, how her pain will soon be followed by a joy that cannot be taken away by anyone. This joy, not only belongs to Jesus’ disciples, but also to Jesus. For Jesus was soon to suffer even greater pain, His death on the cross, which would result in the finished work of salvation for all who put their trust in Jesus. This joy cannot be taken away because it is an eternal life and eternal relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I know no matter what happens in life, nothing can separate us from the love of God. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38)
I am sometimes so focused on the negative things of the world. A lot of my prayers are about protection from hardship. But, what if pain is inevitable? Pain of separation from loved ones from death and dying is certainly inevitable and this happened to a few of the members at church recently. But Jesus says pain will be followed by joy. Just as we will see Jesus again we will see our loved ones again if they died in the Lord.
Jesus promises that whatever they ask in Jesus’ name, they will receive and their joy may be full. Even though Jesus will go away from them, their relationship with Jesus will continue as Jesus will be the key to the Father’s heart and the name they will use to ask the Father for anything they need. As an older daughter growing up in a family with financial struggles, I never felt like I could ask for anything from my parents. I wonder if that translates to how I think of our Father God as the Provider. I had to reflect on whether I really trust that God will answer my prayers. Do I trust His goodness? But, God is speaking to me through this passage, ask and you will receive. ”He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
APPLICATION
I am dealing with the pain and grief of closing my business and I am having a hard time letting go. What would Jesus do in my situation? I need to say goodbye to my students properly and allow them to say goodbye. I am also preparing to start a new business while I am closing this business. I am dealing with the ending of one business and the opening of another. Am I focusing too much on the grief that I cannot feel the joy of being a child of God? Am I letting the grief bring me down so much that I am not able to focus on launching a new business? Do I trust that if I ask for anything in Jesus’ name, I will receive it? I will pray asking for guidance and provision to start my new business and pursue it with joy. Although I feel like a failure at having my business close down, I know I am still a child of God and no one can take that joy away from me.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your everlasting love, gift of eternal relationship with You that was bought through painful labor on the cross. Thank You for giving us a forever relationship with all those that are in Christ. I am grateful that among Christians it is never a goodbye but a see you later. Help me to display that joy and love in dealing with people. My fear of the unknown, fear of hardships and conflict gets in the way of being forthcoming with myself and others. Help me to let go of my business knowing that the beginning of something else is waiting for me. Help me to receive the labor pains in my life with gladness instead of avoiding them. I thank You for the abundance of provision You have already provided me. I am sorry if I did not make the best use of them. I trust You and believe that You are a good Father who will not withhold anything good from me. I trust that You will provide everything I need to do what You have assigned me to do on this earth. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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