Skip to content
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
JFH Blog

JFH Blog

Where the JFH Staff and Guests Speak Their Minds

  • Home
  • Music Reviews
  • Artists DB
  • Indies
  • Interviews
  • Lyrics
  • Ministry
  • Movies
  • JFH Podcast
  • Videos
  • Features
  • Extras
 
  • Home
  • 2021
  • February
  • “My Joy is in the Lord” by Tim Ketenjian
  • Guest Writers

“My Joy is in the Lord” by Tim Ketenjian

On February 27, 2021
Christopher Smith

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” – Isaiah 26:3

It had been a few weeks since my grandma was called home to heaven. We were having a family gathering for Father’s Day, but it was hard for me to enter a celebratory mood. Instead of looking around the room and thanking God for the many people He had blessed me with, all I could think about was grief. I kept pondering, “Are all these people I love also going to be ones I will lose in the future? Will I just be in a circle of grief for the rest of my life?”

Before my grandmother’s passing, I felt like I was doing things I cared about – working, serving in church, making music, spending time with people I loved. But none of these gifts provided lasting fulfillment, even when I wished they would.

All of this came crashing down in my mind that June day. I didn’t want to think about life, so I attempted to drown out sorrow with sin. In the moment, sin seemed like a helpful escape to run away from my problems. Ultimately, sin is not even a temporary fix for a hole that only God can fill. It’s a fleeting entanglement that deceives us into thinking it’s good.

Over the next week, I tried to put the pieces of life and death back into perspective, not through my own eyes, but through God’s. I realized that even pursuing good things in life could not satisfy me. God’s gifts were just that – His gifts. They weren’t God himself. If my joy was in the gifts, what would happen when the gifts were no longer present? Pursuing sin didn’t help either. It was like trying to quench thirst with water from a dead lagoon.

The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that though life is a vapor, we can still enjoy the things God has given us, as long as we remember where our ultimate satisfaction lies: in God Himself. If our joy is not in the Lord, it will not be lasting joy. Perfect peace only comes from delighting in the King, from honoring Him, and from making Him our life’s purpose.

In the aftermath of grief, I wrote these lyrics to remind myself of this: “King over life, Victor o’er death. When all things change, God stays the same. The solid Rock I stand upon – I cling to His Word, I cling to His Name, I give Him the praise! And I’ll pursue Your righteousness, and I will seek lovingkindness. Fullness of life is only found when I put You first”.

Let’s continue to put Him first, family of God.

*Song lyrics from “My Joy is in the Lord”, written and performed by Tim Ketenjian

In Guest WritersIn Joy , Tim Ketenjian

Post navigation

“Bullying, Suicide & Jesus: How Christian Rock Saved My Life” By Grace Graber
“Fun Songs of 90s CCM” by Josh Balogh

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • “The Expected 3-Step Growth of a Christian from 1 Peter”
  • “American Dream” by We The Least
  • “The Healing Power of Jesus” by Marie de Haan
  • 25 Years Later: PFR, “Them”
  • “Awake My Soul” by Salt of the Sound

Categories

  • Guest Writers (282)
    • Interviews (12)
    • Tour Blogs (105)
  • JFH Staff (474)
    • 10 Years Later (22)
    • 15 Years Later (1)
    • 20 Years Later (15)
    • 25 Years Later (3)
    • Little Jesus Freaks (179)
      • Parenting (122)
      • Recipes (55)
    • We Recommend (108)

Archives

Recent Comments

  • Shamgar on Alex’s Top 20 Albums Over 20 Years Old: The Lost Dogs, “Scenic Routes'”
  • Patrick Lynch on 25 Years Later: Newsboys, “Take Me To Your Leader”
  • Patrick Lynch on 25 Years Later: PFR, “Them”
  • Rachel Wieringa on “The Healing Power of Jesus” by Marie de Haan
  • AaronMG on 25 Years Later: PFR, “Them”

You May Also Like

  • Guest Writers
JFH
On April 8, 2010February 3, 2021

“Making ‘The Losers’ VLOG” by Me In Motion

  • Guest Writers
JFH
On April 6, 2018January 18, 2021

“The God of Redemption Is the God of the Average,” by Chris Sligh

  • Guest Writers
JFH
On April 22, 2019January 17, 2021

“The Mad Exchange,” by Illijam

  • Guest Writers
  • Tour Blogs
JFH
On September 12, 2010January 28, 2021

“Pop Rally Tour Day 4 – The Ignite Festival” by The Great Transparency

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Copyright JesusfreakHideout.com All Rights Reserved 1996-2021 | Theme: Telegram by Themeinwp