When loss, letdowns or hard times weigh on your heart, joy is still within reach. Seek God’s face, and draw on the strength and joy found in His presence.
In God’s presence, there is strength and joy, even in a season of grief. (Milko/Getty Images)
November 11 is my mother and father’s wedding anniversary. It falls on Veterans Day every year, so I would usually call to wish them both a happy anniversary and wish Daddy, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War, a happy Veterans Day. This year, I’ll be thinking of them both.
Before Daddy passed away in July 2025, my parents had been married for 53 years. This will be Mom’s second wedding anniversary without him.
Last year, she was here in Buffalo for the occasion. My sister and I took her to a fancy restaurant, where we talked, laughed, and reminisced. Afterward, we gathered at my sister’s house to watch the video of our parents’ 50th wedding anniversary vow renewal ceremony.
It was beautiful.
I sat there on the sofa, completely transfixed. I had been too sick to attend the ceremony, so watching those precious moments was especially bittersweet.
Two days after my parents’ anniversary, on November 13, I’ll mark one year since my brother Chris passed away.
We were so close.
Of all my siblings, Chris understood me in a way few others did. I think some of that closeness grew out of the neurological challenges we both faced. He had suffered several strokes, and we both knew how complicated life can become when the brain has been affected by illness or injury.
We leaned on each other, and I miss him dearly.
These dates have been on my mind, and this season holds some difficult memories. Still, my heart is at peace. God has met me here, and I can feel His strength sustaining me.
Sunlight still shines through, even in a season of loss. (EEW Magazine Online)
As I sat with my thoughts during my devotion time today, the Lord led me to 1 Chronicles 16:11 (ESV): “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”
Asaph and his fellow Levites first sang those words the day the Ark of the Covenant came home to Jerusalem. The ark represented God’s presence among His people, the place where He had promised to meet with them (Exodus 25:22). After years of neglect under King Saul, it was finally where it belonged, and the city welcomed it with music, sacrifices, and rejoicing.
When the music of that day faded, David left Asaph and his brothers to minister before the ark every day (1 Chronicles 16:37). Seeking the Lord became their daily practice. It has long been mine, and in this season, oh, how He has strengthened me through it.
David’s song tells us strength and joy are found in His presence. That word for joy, chedvah, shows up in only one other place in the Hebrew Bible, and you’ve probably quoted it yourself: “for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Nehemiah spoke those words to people weeping as they heard God’s Law read. He told them the day was holy and urged them not to grieve. The joy David sang about in God’s presence is the same joy Nehemiah called the strength of a weeping people.
That has been my testimony this November. The Lord has given me “the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3, KJV).
Perhaps you’re approaching an anniversary that brings painful memories. Maybe you’re facing your first holiday without someone you love. Or perhaps you’ve been grieving for years, and certain moments still bring unexpected tears.
Grief takes other forms, too. Maybe a marriage ended, and a date you once celebrated now stings. Perhaps a treasured friendship has grown distant or a family relationship is strained. Maybe your health has changed, and you miss the strength you once had. Or maybe you’re mourning a job, a ministry, or a dream you poured your heart into.
Whatever you’re walking through, keep seeking the Lord. Turn your heart toward Him in prayer. Open His Word. Praise Him, and remember how faithful He has been.
Mourning can sit alongside joy, because the Lord meets His people in it. Even in your most painful seasons, there is joy in fellowship with Him and strength for the days you feel weak.
I know because I’m experiencing it.
I’m grateful for my parents’ 53 years of marriage, for the years I shared with Daddy and Chris, and for the love, the lessons, and the laughter. I’m grateful, too, for the peace and strength God has given me to walk through these anniversaries.
The sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration today comes from David’s song: “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place” (1 Chronicles 16:27, ESV).
As you drink down the contents of your cup, know this: in God’s presence is fullness of joy, even in sad seasons (Psalm 16:11).
His joy has been my strength, and I believe He will do the same for you as you keep seeking His face.
Father, I thank You for the joy and strength You give me in every season as I seek Your face. Your Word says You reward those who diligently seek You. When trouble comes, help me continually turn to You, my refuge and stronghold. Fill my heart with Your joy, and strengthen me for whatever lies ahead. Teach me to rest in Your steadfast love, which endures forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
