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Joy and Sorrow

                                                    Joy and Sorrow


From Lord of the Rings, book three. As Gandalf and Pippin gaze out over Gondor, on the eve of the battle.

Are you angry with me, Gandalf?' he said, as their guide went out and closed the door. 'I did the best I could.'
'You did indeed!' said Gandalf laughing suddenly; and he came and stood beside Pippin, putting his arm about the hobbit's shoulders, and gazing out of the windows. Pippin glanced in some wonder at the face now close beside his own, for the sound of that laugh had been gay and merry. Yet in the wizard's face he saw at first only lines of care and sorrow; though as he looked more intently he perceived that under all there was a great joy: a fountain of mirth enough to set a kingdom laughing, were it to gush forth.'

This is life as a Christian. We go through times of sorrow but through it all is a deep abiding joy that comes from Christ in you the hope of glory.  This life is also a battle. But the difference in the Lord of the Rings battle and our life as a Christian is that we know the end. We know who wins. Jesus Christ has already defeated the enemy and won the victory! All we need to do is to believe on Him, to put our faith in Christ and His work on the Cross to defeat sin and death. Then we trust and obey. As the old Hymn says:

Trust and Obey,
For there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus, than to Trust and Obey!

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

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