The Joy Before Him, July 13
Written by Elvin McLin
“For the joy set before him he [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2b NIV).
At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away–
It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.1
For those of us who are familiar with this beautiful hymn by Isaac Watts, we recognize the spiritual power and passion of this song. Resonating gently, it rises like a prayer to our heavenly Father, thanking Him for the gift of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Alas! and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?1
You may be asking what this song has to do with my dealing with cancer. What is the correlation between what He went through and my experience? In the Gospel of John chapter 19 we are provided a glimpse of all Jesus went through prior to His death on the cross. Jesus knows of our pain. He knows suffering firsthand. He gladly accepted living and dying for us. He didn’t deserve the pain and suffering He endured. But He did it for you and me—because He loves us. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NIV).
In all our pain and suffering let us turn to the author and finisher of our faith, realizing He already gave us the greatest gift of all—Himself for our salvation! He has suffered sorrow, pain, and even death sacrificially for us! Today’s verse tells us how Jesus endured the unfathomable suffering of the cross: “…for the joy set before him, he endured the cross.” What joy? What joy could be powerful enough to carry Jesus through His suffering? Was it the joy of heavenly places, the joy of being with His heavenly Father? No, the joy before Him on the cross was you and me. On the cross, Jesus endured the suffering by seeing you and me, whom He died for.
Think of this—if we were the joy set before Him in His suffering, then surely, He is the joy set before us in ours. Set the joy of Jesus as your Savior before you for each and every struggle, big or small, fleeting or sustained.
During our battle with cancer, let us stretch our hands to the Lord, receiving His gift of love. Jesus’ love for us keeps the cross forever lit with hope like a beacon of light that will never die.
At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away -
It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.1
Will you trust Jesus enough to bring your burden of cancer and all other problems to Him? Will you endure these burdens by setting the joy of Jesus as your Savior before you? He is faithful and His love for you is sure.
Pray: Dear Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we thank You for the immense love You have for each of us. Out of this love, You suffered and died for the joy set before You—that we would have eternal life with You. In the midst of our suffering, let us stand strong with our eyes on You, our true joy. Amen.
Your Turn: Listen to the words of “Joy of the Lord” by Rend Collective and list the ways that the “joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV).
1. “At the Cross by Isaac Watts.” Great Christian Hymns. Accessed August 3, 2023. https://www.greatchristianhymns.com/at-the-cross.html.
Elvin K. McLin, Cancer Survivor
Elvin is the husband of Dominique. They live in Ellisville, Missouri where they share five beautiful adult children and five beautiful grandchildren. Elvin is an entrepreneur who began his journey with cancer in 2019 with stage three and stage four kidney cancer. As he was healing from the first encounter with cancer, another battle with cancer reared itself in the form of prostate cancer. Elvin has been welcomed by Cancer Companions to become a member of the Board of Directors.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
