I have good news! It doesn’t have to be that way. No matter how bad it gets; no matter how long it lasts!

The joy set before us can shine upon our griefs creating a wall of endurance that glorifies the Father.

Where can we find this joy, you may ask? The same joy that Jesus felt as He went to the cross for my sins, your sins, and the whole world’s sins (Hebrews 12:2). In case you didn’t know, Jesus “was in the know.”  Having been directly involved with Creation, He was one with the Father. He knew all the beauty and honor awaiting His Kingship in the Millennium. Despite a distressing, cruel hardship that awaited Him at the cross, He was filled with joy. If He can die for the sins of the world and count it joy, we can endure hardships for His sake because of what awaits us.

As a young girl, memorizing Scripture through the ministry of Bible Memory Association, I’m eternally grateful for the many verses that “put me in the know.” One such verse that I committed to memory so long ago is Isaiah 26:3.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trusts in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT)

This little verse says a great deal. If you are trusting in the Father, you will experience peace, perfect peace. But you can’t trust in the Father if you are fixing your thoughts anywhere but on Him. That means through whatever activity you find yourself, whether watching the news or playing a game, your thoughts are fixed on the Father Who has total control of every circumstance. Our responsibility is to fix our minds on God.  God’s promise is that He will then keep us in perfect peace.

Check yourself throughout the day. Are you fixing your thoughts on the Father?

While you’re doing the laundry, where are your thoughts fixed? While you’re preparing a meal, where are your thoughts fixed? As your driving down the street, where are your thoughts fixed? As you’re scrolling through Facebook, where are your thoughts fixed?

If you haven’t memorized Isaiah 26:3, put it to memory. Look it up in different translations of the Bible and see which one really speaks to you. Make it a family project to memorize this little verse. Say it often throughout the day. Recite it before each meal of the day. Share it with a friend.

If you’re confined to your home, or you have extra time on your hands, consider how the Lord would want you to use it. Reading the Bible and memorizing Scripture are very beneficial to the whole family. Besides reading and memorizing scripture, some other great ways to spend your time would be playing games, putting a puzzle together, baking a treat, writing a letter or texting a friend, text or call your neighbors and ask them if they need anything, and/or spend more time in prayer.

Are you still feeling shaky from “not being in the know”?

“Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock” (Isaiah 26:4, NLT).

Now that is a sure foundation worth knowing!