By now, most of us have learned that life doesn’t always go the way we plan. We deal with disappointments, rejection, setbacks—and sometimes it feels like joy is the last thing we’re capable of. But according to New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Cahn, joy isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we choose, even in the valleys.
In a recent sermon uploaded to YouTube, Cahn delivered a message that cut straight to the heart of what it means to have faith in difficult times. “How can we go through hard times and also… rejoice always? How can we rejoice? When you’re going through a tough time and you rejoice anyway… you become more and more like Messiah.”
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That idea might sound backwards at first. But Cahn made it clear: our ability to rejoice in the middle of the storm shows just how deeply rooted our faith really is.
“If you live fearing any hard time… you’ve got so little joy that you can’t deal with anything,” he said. “What this is saying is you have been given so many blessings and so much joy that you can deal with anything and you can overcome it.”
And the key, he pointed out, isn’t avoiding trials—it’s learning to see them the way God does. He quoted from Hosea, “I will give her the valley of trouble as the door of hope,” and shared how one of Israel’s earliest modern settlements was named after that verse. Cahn’s takeaway? “For every valley of trouble, it’s going to become a door of hope to you.”
That message is especially powerful for anyone who feels stuck or discouraged. According to Cahn, the Christian life isn’t just about holding on—it’s about moving forward. “That which is alive reproduces,” he said. “If you’re alive in God, you have to be reproducing. You have to be leading others to God.”
Still, that doesn’t mean we carry the weight alone. Cahn reminded listeners to do their part, but then let go.
“Do your part… but then you have to entrust it to the Lord. Your ministry, entrust it to the Lord. Your family, entrust to the Lord. That person, entrust them to God.”
He shared how the early church stepped out into the unknown with nothing but faith, and they came back with powerful testimonies. “They just went because God told them without knowing what to do. And sometimes you can’t wait for all these things. You just step out. God will honor you as you step out.”
And even if some people reject the message? “Jump up and down, leap for joy because your reward is great in heaven,” Cahn said.
Here’s the challenge: don’t just keep the blessings to yourself.
“You’re blessed by God, bring it home. Your joy—you have joy—bless your family with it. Bless the people in your life. Bless your relatives. Bring it home.”
If you’re walking through a tough season right now, maybe the takeaway is this: your valley could be the start of something greater. And with God, even the deepest pit can become a doorway to joy.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
