Picture this.

This is an image of what joy in suffering looks like:

It's being in the midst of battle.

Flaming arrows flying by me. I don't see anyone else around me. Just the arrows.

I'm petrified. That these arrows are gonna hit me and leave me lying in my own blood.

But there is joy to this.

There is joy in surrender.

Think about how many times in the Old Testament God told His people to do something in battle that made NO sense.

Think about in 2 Chronicles 20 when God's people started singing and worshiping God and the enemy started killing each other. 

These people were petrified. But they sang unto the name of the Lord anyhow.

So in my battle, I see no one. Nothing but arrows.

But I am gonna praise the name of the Lord.

So I throw down my weapon.

And in this moment, I sing.

My hands are shaking. But I will sing.

With arms high and heart abandoned.

In the midst of my suffering, I sing for joy.

Because that's what the love of God does.

You taste it once and you can't get enough.

And you trust His love enough to get you through.

This is my battle cry:

I will sing until my lungs give out.

I will sing in the midst of war.

The name of the Lord.

Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord!!

So that when my lungs do give out.

When it's my time to leave this place... all of hell rejoices that I'm no longer on the battle field... because of how loud I sang His name. Because of how He was glorified through my suffering.

Drop your weapons. It's okay to stop fighting for a moment to shout the name of the Lord in the midst of suffering.

Psalm 30:11: You turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness...

It's okay to dance in the midst of pain. Hear my battle cry! I will call upon the name of the Lord.

For He is GOOD. He is good. He is good. You are good.