Facing stern issues

Yesterday the hymn about resting in joy could seem out of place in the misery of lock down. But then I read Oswald Chambers this week and saw his words on John 17: 13 that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. He writes very provocatively and made me really stop and ponder.  He says there are degrees of joy.

How can a Christian be full of happiness (if happiness depends on the things that happen) when he is in a world.. where people are tortured physically, where some are downtrodden and do not get a change? It would be the outcome of the most miserable selfishness to be happy under such conditions; but a joyful heart is never an insult, and joy is never touched by external conditions. Beware of preaching the gospel of temperament instead of the Gospel of God. Numbers of people today preach the gospel of temperament, the gospel of 'cheer up'. The word 'blessed' is sometimes translated 'happy' but it is a much deeper word: it includes all that we mean by joy in its full fruition. Happiness is the characteristic of a child, and God condemns us for taking happiness out of a child's life; but as men and women we should have done with happiness long ago, we should be facing the stern issues of life, knowing that the grace of God is sufficient for every problem the devil can present. 

'We should have done with happiness long ago, we should be facing the stern issues of life'.  Those words are hard to read!  But, God's promise of grace that is sufficient holds fast for Easter people.