I’m reading a new devotional: Nailed It. 365 Sarcastic Devotions for Angry or Worn-Out People by Anne Kennedy. Don’t you love that? I bought copies for myself and my sisters based solely on the title and a couple Twitter recommendations. I’m only 3 devotions in, but it’s good. Yes, Kennedy uses sarcasm, but she’s also serious about pointing readers to truth about God and themselves.

The third day jumped off from Genesis 2:26-27, when God says he’s going to create man in his image. 

We often look at ourselves, Kennedy says, and can hardly see it, haggard, tired, and not as beautiful, thin, or youthful as we wish we were. But if God has said it, it is so. Despite that we find it hard to believe, the Creator made us in his image! Then Kennedy reminds us of another image bearer.”And then I remember the image of the firstborn, naked, hanging out there in the breeze, broken.” Jesus was the image bearer (Colossians 1:15). And though he was sinless and perfectly lived out the image of God on earth, he endured suffering and brokenness for us, bearing all of our sin and separation from God. Wow.

I’ll be honest. I’ve been struggling to maintain strong faith that God can and will move through the tough things I’m currently dealing with, but Kennedy’s words draw me to contemplate Christ, who is not only our Savior but also our example. Jesus’s faith in his Father never wavered. Therefore, Hebrews 12:2 urges that we should be “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Faith is so key. One of my friends keeps talking about how faith is so much more than belief. It’s trust. And it’s more even than trust, or rather that trust has great significance. Peter–yes, that Peter; you didn’t think we were actually getting to 1 Peter, did you?–Peter says faith guards us and that the outcome of our faith is the salvation of our souls. Our faith in Christ, whom we have not seen, causes us to “rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Peter 1:8-9). 

Thinking back to Genesis, why were we created? Was it not to have communion with God and to experience this very joy as we glorify him in everything we do? Yes, we fell, but Jesus has restored us. “Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:12-13). I’ve never thought of this before in regards to the verses I just quoted, but one way to grow in faith and joy is through using our bodies to praise and pray.

Lift those drooping hands high to praise God with songs and shouts of joy!

Strengthen those weak knees by continuously kneeling in prayer, humbling ourselves before God, trusting his Word, and interceding for others!

Simple actions, so why are they so hard sometimes? All I know to do is to take my lack of faith and my reluctance to praise to Jesus and say, “I am weary and fainthearted, but I believe you can hold me up. Remove this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. I want to be healed, so I’m picking up my mat and starting to walk, even on these clumsy, faltering feet. You are so good to me. Because you’ve made me new, I will praise and pray in faith, trusting that you will complete your work in me.” Despite the fact that it’s hard right now, I’ve just got to keep praising and praying and looking to Jesus. Every day. Every moment. Lift those hands. Strengthen those knees. Joy is coming. God has said it. It is so.