Thursday, December 29 – Hebrews 12:2

Looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When we receive wonderful news, it may feel like nothing can bring us down. Good news sets the tone, giving us a different lens to see life through. On a normal day, it can feel the opposite; one sour comment or even an off mood can ruin our day. For Jesus, in the tough times and fruitful times, something set the tone for Him, motivating Him to move forward: for the joy set before Him, He endured life on earth and death on the cross.

In Jesus, we have the same opportunity for eternal joy that doesn’t change based on our circumstances. Second Corinthians 4:16-18 says “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Like Jesus, we are to look to God, who we cannot see, and to His enduring promises so that we can be anchored by His purpose on the good days and look to His eternal hope on the hard days. Christ has set the example for us of what it looks like to endure tough times and fruitful times with eyes fixed on the Creator, trusting His purpose through it all. As we look ahead to the unknowns of a new year, we can look ahead with joy! We have eternal joy, hope, and peace in Him that we can hold to even when life is tough and things don’t go our way.

• When have you experienced joy in an unlikely circumstance? What was that like?
• How does looking to Jesus change how you view the things you are going through today?
• Pray and ask God to help you share the joy He has given you with someone else.