1 Peter 1:8,9 8and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” The key to this joy and love is Jesus. Without Him, it’s all empty. People engage in meditation and go to psychologists to address their sadness or anxiety. Some try relaxation, others listen to music. Some go on vacation, others have hobbies. These are fine, but if they don’t have Jesus, they are trying to gloss over their sin and guilt. They have an appetite to be rid of the guilt. If they know it or not, they have a yearning for God. I’ve heard it said that we have a God shaped hole inside of us. The whole bible is a story of redemption. The Old Testament showed that people couldn’t keep the law to maintain a relationship with God. Jesus had to come and dispose of it. It took His sacrifice on the cross. Three days later, He burst on the scene. He has come to set the captives free. That’s us. When we accept Christ, He forgives our guilt and sin and God comes within. His proximity to us fills us with joy and peace. All that anxiety, sadness and guilt now has it’s core addressed. We still may need to work through some of this, but His presence brings much healing. “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him”. Seeing is one sense. There are other ways to know things without seeing them. We have the authenticity of scripture. It’s a rock solid bedrock that we can trust in. We sense the lifting of our guilt and sin. We feel the infilling of joy and peace. This is all worth more than gold. For this, we love Him. While forgiveness is in our past, the peace and joy are ever present. I can sense it now. I love Peter’s words, “you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”. This should be a life theme for the christian. It’s a relationship. The more we foster it, the better it gets, the greater the joy. If we neglect it, God becomes a stranger and the joy fades. The cares of the world flood our lives. Like the weeds in Jesus’ parable. The cares choke off God’s influence. Lord, thank You for Your presence and all the wonderful things that accompany it. Particularly Your joy. Help us to stay close and connected to You. Help us to keep the cares of the world away.