Devotional: Will Joy Return?

Job 9:25, “My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.”

For Job, the loss of his children was so devastating that he never thought he would experience joy again. Such is the case in many grief experiences, as people feel they will never experience joy again. For parents, the loss of a child is considered the “ultimate” grief. For Job, the grief was even more traumatic as he lost all ten of his children in one incident.

Additionally, Job suffered from compound grief (grief compounded by more than one loss) as he lost all his wealth, children, and many of his servants in a short period of time. On top of that, Job eventually lost his health due to the antics of Satan. All these losses at one time would be difficult for even the strongest believer, and Job was just that, “blameless before God and righteous in all his ways.” Yet, we see his humanity and the difficulty any person would have when experiencing loss of this magnitude.

For believers, it is okay to give your hurts to God, and Job did just that. Job faced discouragement, depression, and despair, and gave his hurt to God. He even cursed the day he was born, wishing he had never lived. Yet, Scripture says that “in everything He did not sin.” As Job conveyed his feelings to God, he did not feel that the grief would ever leave him. He was drowning in despair, and joy seemed so far away. He wasn’t sure that he would never experience joy again.

Maybe that is you today. You’ve experienced unparalleled loss and nothing in life could prepare you for what you are experiencing now. It maybe that your grief is so overwhelming that you might think that you’ll never experience joy again. That’s where Job was, right where you are, and yet, in time the Lord restored the blessings and the joy. If God can do it for Job, He can do it for you. Give yourself time! Be patient with yourself! Be kind to yourself! You have suffered much. Don’t be afraid to give your burdens to the Lord, over and over. It may take a while, longer than you think, but the Lord can restore the joy in time.