Joy in the Waiting

This message invites us into a profound truth about the nature of joy in our spiritual journey: it isn't found in our circumstances changing, but in recognizing the unchanging presence of Christ beside us. We explore Acts 23:11, where Paul sits in prison after years of ministry seemingly grinding to a halt, and Jesus appears to him in the night with two simple words: 'Take courage.' This isn't the bootstraps-pulling kind of courage we often imagine, but rather a deep assurance that we are not alone. The Greek word 'tharseó' carries the meaning of taking heart and being of good cheer—the same phrase Jesus used with the paralytic, the bleeding woman, and the disciples in the storm. What's striking is that Jesus never spoke these words after the crisis ended, but always in the middle of it. We're challenged to understand that joy isn't an emotion we manufacture through positive thinking or favorable circumstances. Instead, it's the fruit that grows naturally when we abide in Christ's presence during our darkest nights. Paul's journey from that prison cell to writing 'Rejoice in the Lord always' in Philippians wasn't instantaneous—it took cultivation through two more years of waiting. This reminds us that waiting isn't wasted time in God's economy; it's where He does His deepest work, transforming our hearts and teaching us that joy comes not in the morning's arrival, but in recognizing that Christ Himself is the light that brings the morning.