{Ps 30:5…weeping may last for a night but joy comes in the morning.}
Earlier this week I was in a funk. No matter how much I prayed or read scripture I could not pull myself out and I did not see God or scripture clearly enough to allow Him to pull me out either. There were several days, to be honest a couple of weeks, where life and my walk of faith had to be gutted out like the last few wind sprints after a hot grueling football practice or the last few miles of a marathon.
There are times in this life where everything in you tells you to give up hope, to throw in the towel, and to take the path of least resistance. God never promised His followers that every day of our lives would be filled with comfort and ease. In fact He is very up front that along the way we will have some days of weeping, some days of trials, and we will face both adversaries and adversity.
Many pillows around Paradise have been splashed with silent tears at nights when nobody else was watching, but God did not miss one of them. Many doubts have dominated the minds of both Christians and non-Christians alike during the midnight hour of our circumstances. Anguished souls have nearly suffocated under the domineering and tyrannical burdens that seem heavier in the darkness.
The scriptures do not sugar coat the fact that tough times do come. [Job 1:20-21] [Jn 16:3]. Everybody reading this knows what it is like to go through the night of weeping. I sat by the side of a recent widow who had been married for over six decades as tears streamed down her cheeks while she reminisced about her beloved husband. I have listened to the downcast and disheartened who feel like they can never catch a break. I have watched the grieving of parents who watch their children make bad choice after bad choice. I have listened intently as pastors have talked about the harsh treatment they have received from church members.
You know what. I have also seen the other side of it. I have witnessed the joy in the morning when the doctor’s report came back with good news! I have seen the abounding joy in new parents holding their bundle of joy. I have seen the love and hope given by a doting pet who wants little else out of life but to be loved and enjoyed. I have known the joy that comes when prayers are answered and when impossible situations turn around. I have smiled from ear to ear when God has stepped in and saved the day.
Today was a day of joy for me. It started earlier this morning when after months of looking I finally found my pass port that had been missing. I prayed knowing God knew exactly where it was and I found it in a place I had already looked dozens of times. After that I went to the library where they were having a book sale. This is always a dangerous thing for me because I am helplessly addicted to books. My pulse quickens when I walk into a library or a bookstore. I entered the room where the books were displayed and could not believe my eyes when I read on the sign, “Hardbacks - $1. Paperbacks - $.50.” I knew I had hit the jack pot. Like a kid at Christmas I slowly make my way around the non-fiction tables stacking up my selections and walked away with sixteen books for $13. I felt like I had stolen them and pulled one out to read while I was pumping gas in Brenda’s car.
It was a great day but God had another little surprise for me. I received a phone call from one of the camp directors of a leadership camp I will be teaching at this summer. There will be pastors, youth pastors, and volunteers from all over the state of Texas at this camp. There will be people all show up the weekend before the camp for prayer, organization, and spiritual refreshment. I was asked to preach to this group on the Sunday morning before the camp. This is something I have been asking God for going on over a decade. Today God blessed me with that privilege. Today has been a day of joy.
Let me say once again from personal experience, yes, days and nights of weeping do come. Let me also say that just as sure as the sun comes up after the storm, days of joy come after nights of weeping. Regardless of where you are, please do not doubt that when you trust God, walk with Him, and seek His aid, joy does come in the morning.
Earlier this week I was in a funk. No matter how much I prayed or read scripture I could not pull myself out and I did not see God or scripture clearly enough to allow Him to pull me out either. There were several days, to be honest a couple of weeks, where life and my walk of faith had to be gutted out like the last few wind sprints after a hot grueling football practice or the last few miles of a marathon.
There are times in this life where everything in you tells you to give up hope, to throw in the towel, and to take the path of least resistance. God never promised His followers that every day of our lives would be filled with comfort and ease. In fact He is very up front that along the way we will have some days of weeping, some days of trials, and we will face both adversaries and adversity.
Many pillows around Paradise have been splashed with silent tears at nights when nobody else was watching, but God did not miss one of them. Many doubts have dominated the minds of both Christians and non-Christians alike during the midnight hour of our circumstances. Anguished souls have nearly suffocated under the domineering and tyrannical burdens that seem heavier in the darkness.
The scriptures do not sugar coat the fact that tough times do come. [Job 1:20-21] [Jn 16:3]. Everybody reading this knows what it is like to go through the night of weeping. I sat by the side of a recent widow who had been married for over six decades as tears streamed down her cheeks while she reminisced about her beloved husband. I have listened to the downcast and disheartened who feel like they can never catch a break. I have watched the grieving of parents who watch their children make bad choice after bad choice. I have listened intently as pastors have talked about the harsh treatment they have received from church members.
You know what. I have also seen the other side of it. I have witnessed the joy in the morning when the doctor’s report came back with good news! I have seen the abounding joy in new parents holding their bundle of joy. I have seen the love and hope given by a doting pet who wants little else out of life but to be loved and enjoyed. I have known the joy that comes when prayers are answered and when impossible situations turn around. I have smiled from ear to ear when God has stepped in and saved the day.
Today was a day of joy for me. It started earlier this morning when after months of looking I finally found my pass port that had been missing. I prayed knowing God knew exactly where it was and I found it in a place I had already looked dozens of times. After that I went to the library where they were having a book sale. This is always a dangerous thing for me because I am helplessly addicted to books. My pulse quickens when I walk into a library or a bookstore. I entered the room where the books were displayed and could not believe my eyes when I read on the sign, “Hardbacks - $1. Paperbacks - $.50.” I knew I had hit the jack pot. Like a kid at Christmas I slowly make my way around the non-fiction tables stacking up my selections and walked away with sixteen books for $13. I felt like I had stolen them and pulled one out to read while I was pumping gas in Brenda’s car.
It was a great day but God had another little surprise for me. I received a phone call from one of the camp directors of a leadership camp I will be teaching at this summer. There will be pastors, youth pastors, and volunteers from all over the state of Texas at this camp. There will be people all show up the weekend before the camp for prayer, organization, and spiritual refreshment. I was asked to preach to this group on the Sunday morning before the camp. This is something I have been asking God for going on over a decade. Today God blessed me with that privilege. Today has been a day of joy.
Let me say once again from personal experience, yes, days and nights of weeping do come. Let me also say that just as sure as the sun comes up after the storm, days of joy come after nights of weeping. Regardless of where you are, please do not doubt that when you trust God, walk with Him, and seek His aid, joy does come in the morning.
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