“I’ll be happy when . . .” That’s a common thought, often spoken but more often felt somewhere deep in the heart, where we ache from the frustrations of life. We’re very aware of the pain of our journey and focused on the joy of the destination. But if joy is on hold until we get there—wherever “there” happens to be—we’ll likely never find the fulfillment we’re looking for. We should never focus our faith entirely on the future; we also have to have it for the now.
That’s true even when you’re walking through a wilderness. While most of the world looks forward to a future celebration of success, God is inviting you to go ahead and dance now. His people are fully permitted to sing songs in the desert. He doesn’t want your worship and gratitude to be put on hold until you get there. He wants you to be so convinced of the “there” that you can worship and give thanks even now. One of the greatest things you can do in your wilderness journey is celebrate what you haven’t yet seen.
When you can enter into God’s joy before fulfillment comes, you can exercise greater faith than ever. It’s impossible to walk in faith while being stuck in anxiety or disappointment. But a celebration of the goodness of God in dry seasons leads to greater celebrations on the other side of the desert. That’s what true faith and hope look like. God’s promises come to those who can celebrate the fulfillment long before seeing it.
