April 20:  Joy Through Tribulation.

Sorrow Turning Into Joy
"I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice.  You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy."--John 16:20, NLT

WHEN THEY SHOULD SEE  their Lord betrayed and crucified, the disciples would mourn and fast.  In His last words to them in the upper chamber, He said, "A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy."  John 16:19, 20.

When He should come forth from the tomb, their sorrow would be turned to joy.  After His ascension, He was to be absent in person; but through the Comforter He would still be with them, and they were not to spend their time in mourning.  This was what Satan wanted.  He desired them to give the world the impression that they had been deceived and disappointed; but by faith they were to look to the sanctuary above, where Jesus was ministering for them; they were to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit, His representative, and to rejoice in the light of His presence.--The Desire of Ages, 277.

                     May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
                       that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
                                                                                               --Romans 15:13, NKJV

                      Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away:
                              for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
                          but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  And when he is come,
                      he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
             of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father,
             and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
                                                                                                  --John 16:7-11, KJV         

April 19:  Joy Through Tribulation.

Comforting Others.
Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.--2 Corinthians 1:3, 4, ESV

MANY WERE THE MESSAGES of comfort given the church by the prophets of old.  "Comfort ye, comfort ye My people" (Isaiah 40:1), was Isaiah's commission from God; and with the commission were given wonderful visions that have been the believers' hope and joy through all the centuries that have followed.  Despised of men, persecuted, forsaken, God's children in every age have nevertheless been sustained by His sure promises.  By faith they have looked forward to the time when He will fulfill to His church the assurance, "I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations."  Isaiah 60:15.--Prophets and Kings, 722.

Then let us not mourn and grieve because in this life we are not free from disappointments and afflictions.  If in the providence of God we are called upon to endure trials, let us accept the cross and drink the bitter cup, remembering that it is a Father's hand that holds it to our lips.  Let us trust Him in the darkness as well as in the day.  Can we not believe that He will give us everything that is for our good?  "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"  Even in the night of affliction how can we refuse to lift heart and voice in grateful praise, when we remember the love to us expressed by the cross of Calvary?--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 315.

                                              Sing, O heavens!
                                            Be joyful, O earth!
                              And break out in singing, O mountains!
                              For the Lord has comforted His people,
                                 And will have mercy on His afflicted.
                              
                                                    --Isaiah 49:13, NKJV

April 18:  Joy Through Tribulation.

God Is Our Strength.
I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you.  I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.--2 Corinthians 7:4, NIV

ALL WHO STAND UNSHRINKINGLY in the forefront of the battle must feel the special warfare of Satan against them.  As they realize his attacks, they will flee to the Stronghold.  They feel their need of special strength from God, and they labor in His strength; therefore the victories they gain do not exalt them, but lead them in faith to lean more securely upon the Mighty One.  Deep and fervent gratitude to God is awakened in their hearts, and they are joyful in the tribulation which they experience while pressed by the enemy.  These willing servants are gaining an experience and forming a character which will do honor to the cause of God.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, 510.

Let me know that Jesus smiles upon me; let me know that he approves my actions and my course, and then let come what may, let afflictions be ever so great, I will be resigned to my lot and rejoice in the Lord.--"The Graces of the Spirit,"  Review and Herald, December 21, 1886, 785.

                           I often boast about you; I have great pride in you;
                 I am filled with consolation; I am overjoyed in all our affliction.
                              
                                                            --2 Corinthians 7:4, NRSV

April 17:  Joy Through Tribulation.

Finding Joy in God's Law.
Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.--Psalm 119:92, NKJV

CHRIST'S TRUE DISCIPLES follow Him through sore conflicts, enduring self-denial and experiencing bitter disappointments; but this teaches them the guilt and woe of sin, and they are led to look upon it with abhorrence.--The Acts of the Apostles, 590.

God has given us His holy precepts, because He loves mankind.  To shield us from the results of transgression, He reveals the principles of righteousness.  The law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in Christ, it becomes our thought.  It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin.  God desires us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the law that in obeying them we might have joy.--The Desire of Ages, 308.

                                                   Your justice is eternal,
                                          and your instructions are perfectly true.
                                          As pressure and stress bear down on me,
                                                 I find joy in your commands.
                                                    Your laws are always right;
                                            help me to understand them so I may live.
                                                                                              --Psalm 119: 142-144, NLT

                                                The laws of the Lord are true;
                                                              each one is fair.
                                            They are more desirable than gold,
                                                         even the finest gold.
                                                They are sweeter than honey,
                                           even honey dripping from the comb.
                                                                                              --Psalm 19:9-11, NLT

April 16:  Joy Through Tribulation.

Do Not Despise God's Chastening.
"Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty."--Job 5:17, NKJV

MANY OF YOUR AFFLICTIONS have been visited upon you, in the wisdom of God, to bring you closer to the throne of grace.  He softens and subdues His children by sorrows and trials.  This world is God's workshop, where He fashions us for the courts of heaven.  He uses the planing knife upon our quivering hearts until the roughness and irregularities are removed and we are fitted for our proper places in the heavenly building.  Through tribulation and distress the Christian becomes purified and strengthened, and develops a character after the model that Christ has given.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 143.

The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop.  If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us.  He does not cast worthless stones into His furnace.  It is valuable ore that He refines.--The Ministry of Healing, 471.

                                  Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
                                And lean not on your own understanding;
                                       In all your ways acknowledge Him,
                                           And He shall direct your paths.
                                           Do not be wise in your own eyes;
                                    Fear the Lord and depart from evil....
                               My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
                                                  Nor detest His correction;
                                    For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
                               Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
                              
                                                   --Proverbs 3:5-7, 11, 12, NKJV

April 15:  Joy Through Tribulation.

The Lord Is Tender and Patient.
I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities.--Psalm 31:7, NKJV

OH, HOW PRECIOUS is the sweet influence of the Spirit of God as it comes to depressed or despairing souls, encouraging the fainthearted, strengthening the feeble, and imparting courage and help to the tried servants of the Lord!  Oh, what a God is ours, who deals gently with the erring and manifests His patience and tenderness in adversity, and when we are overwhelmed with some great sorrow!--Patriarchs and Prophets, 657.

The Lord permits trials in order that we may be cleansed from earthliness, from selfishness, from harsh, unchristlike traits of character.  He suffers the deep waters of affliction to go over our souls in order that we may know Him and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, in order that we may have deep heart longings to be cleansed from defilement, and may come forth from the trial purer, holier, happier.--Christ's Object Lessons, 174.

                        "Now this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God,
                                         and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
                                                                                   --John 17:3, NIV

                                                 Who is a God like you,
                                who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
                                           of the remnant of his inheritance?
                                               You do not stay angry forever
                                                 but delight to show mercy.
                                       You will again have compassion on us;
                                            you will tread our sins underfoot
                                  and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
                              
                                                                    --Micah 7:18, 19, NIV

April 14:  Joy Through Tribulation.

Facing Trials Head-On.
Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.--Psalm 51:8, NKJV

IT IS TRUE that God loves us, that He is working for our happiness, and that, if His law had always been obeyed, we should never have known suffering; and it is no less true that, in this world, as the result of sin, suffering, trouble, burdens, come to every life....

...This world is not a parade ground, but a battlefield.  All are called to endure hardness, as good soldiers....

The true way of dealing with trial is not seeking to escape it, but by transforming it.  This applies to all discipline, the earlier as well as the later.  The neglect of the child's earliest training, and the consequent strengthening of wrong tendencies, makes his after education more difficult....Painful it must be to the lower nature, crossing, as it does, the natural desires and inclinations; but the pain may be lost sight of in a higher joy.--Education, 295.

Our sorrows do not spring out of the ground.  God "doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men."  Lamentations 3:33.  When He permits trials and afflictions, it is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness."  Hebrews 12:10.  If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove a blessing.  The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be the means of turning our eyes to heaven.  How many there are who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek comfort in Him!--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 10.

                                  O Lord, I will praise You;
                            Though You were angry with me,
                     Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
                                                                            --Isaiah 12:1, NKJV

April 13:  Joy Through Tribulation.

Bearing Our Burdens With Joy.
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.  Makes us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.  Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.--Psalm 90:14-16, ESV

LET ME ASSURE YOU that the struggles and conflicts which must be endured in the discharge of duty, the self-denials and sacrifices which must be made if we are faithful to Christ, are not created by Him.  They are not imposed by arbitrary or unnecessary command; they do not come from the severity of the life which He requires us to lead in His service.  Trials would exist in greater power and number were we to refuse obedience to Christ and become the servants of Satan and the slaves of sin.

Jesus invites us to come to Him and He will lift the weights from our weary shoulders and place upon us His yoke, which is easy, and His burden, which is light.  The path in which He invites us to walk would never have cost us a pang had we always walked in it.  It is when we stray from the path of duty that the way becomes difficult and thorny.  The sacrifices which we must make in following Christ are only so many steps to return to the path of light, of peace and happiness.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 557, 558.


                          "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
                     and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me,
                   for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
                                      For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
                              
                                                         --Matthew 11:28-30, ESV

April 12:  Joy Through Tribulation.

Persevere in Prayer.
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.--Romans 12:12, NKJV

HAPPY IS THE MAN whom God corrected:...He maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and His hands make whole.  He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee."  Job 5:17-19.  To every stricken one, Jesus comes with the ministry of healing.  The life of bereavement, pain, and suffering may be brightened by precious revealings of His presence.

God would not have us remain pressed down by dumb sorrow, with sore and breaking hearts.  He would have us look up and behold His dear face of love.  The blessed Saviour stands by many whose eyes are so blinded by tears that they do not discern Him.  He longs to clasp our hands, to have us look to Him in simple faith, permitting Him to guide us.  His heart is open to our griefs, our sorrows, and our trials.  He has loved us with an everlasting love and with loving-kindness compassed us about.  We may keep the heart stayed upon Him and meditate upon His loving-kindness all the day.  He will lift the soul above the daily sorrow and perplexity, into a realm of peace.

Think of this, children of suffering and sorrow, and rejoice in hope.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 12.

               Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
                        with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
                             and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
                                    will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
                                                                                                 --Philippians 4:6, 7, NKJV

April 11:  Joy Through Tribulation.

All Things Work Together for Our Good.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better.--Ecclesiastes 7:3, NKJV

ALL OUR SUFFERING and sorrows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and privations, in short, all things work together for our good.  All experiences and circumstances are God's workmen whereby good is brought to us.--The Ministry of Healing, 488.

It may be that much work needs to be done in your character building, that you are a rough stone, which must be squared and polished before it can fill a place in God's temple.  You need not be surprised if with hammer and chisel God cuts away the sharp corners of your character until you are prepared to fill the place He has for you.  No human being can accomplish this work.  Only by God can it be done.  And be assured that He will not strike one useless blow.  His every blow is struck in love, for your eternal happiness.  He knows your infirmities and works to restore, not to destroy.--Testimonies of the Church, vol. 7, 264.

                      Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
                    because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
                    And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
                                     to those who are called according to His purpose.
                                                                                                       --Romans 8:27, 28, NKJV