This morning, I read the following verses, and smiled:
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9, emphasis mine)
I didn’t smile because I’ve arrived at the conclusion of the matter, but because I am more aware now than I’ve ever been that I am arriving.
I am being filled with a joy that I find increasingly hard to explain. It isn’t a head in the sand, or a pie in the sky type of joy, like seemingly happy because I’ve closed my eyes tightly and refuse to see the bad stuff.
This joy is deeper than that; a joy that can only fill us on the other side of the things that drained us.Peter knew that, and associated this joy with the feeling one might have after surviving a storm at sea because the anchor held. Sure, things were lost, and the ship was damaged, but the most important things remained, and even more than that, were cherished more simply because they did.
For many of us, friendships that weather tough times are great examples of this. The friendship is stronger because of the struggle, but the relationship is now far more valuable to the ones in it.
This is the joy that has no words and yet speaks volumes! It is the joy that comes from the proven faith that Peter speaks of in verse 7.
When others see it – or, as in my case, we see it in ourselves – it’s hard to find the words to adequately explain its depth. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t speaking.
This is the joy that speaks without words. An inexpressible joy that reflects the glorious, joy-filled face of the One relationship that will stay with us forever.
