Joyfully Expecting!નમૂનો

Not seeing Jesus, yet being full of joy

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV)

A few days ago, we read about Abraham who rejoiced greatly at the coming of Jesus, even though he only saw Him from afar. Without seeing the complete fulfillment of God's promises, Abraham believed and rejoiced. The apostle Peter says the same thing about people who believe in Jesus without ever having met Him physically.

Peter himself had spent many years following Jesus. From that experience, he was able to tell others about Him, and that experience will also have strengthened Peter in his expectation of God's future. In the first years after Jesus' life on earth, there were quite a few believers who had personal memories of Him. But most Christians do not have that experience—they were born much later and/or live far away from Israel. Yet that does not need to be an obstacle to experiencing unspeakable, heavenly joy. Talking to His disciples after His resurrection, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 ESV).

The joy of believers is focused on the future, when Jesus returns. But even now, they can experience supernatural joy, even in difficult circumstances. Do you experience that too?