Many of us have heard the verse, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5b NKJV) Perhaps someone has quoted that verse to you, when you confided to them your grief or feelings of sorrow. When your sadness is short-lived, it can be a real comfort. But, when each new morning comes and you continue to feel deep sorrow, what then? With each new dawn the circumstances causing the sorrow are just as real. The circumstances or events creating your stress or grief are not easily mitigated.
Losing a loved one or close friend, or any deeply felt loss (whether it is a relationship, or health, or financial situation) can bring about depression or deeply seated grief, and make us wonder how we are to understand God’s promise of comfort.
I never want to write “platitudes”, gliby quoting scripture as if it were a formula, but there are promises and principles in the Bible, God’s Word to us, that DO bring comfort. I have personally experienced and known Him to truly be a God of comfort! His Holy Spirit (given to us when we personally confess and acknowledge our own sinfulness and receive the free gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ) does reveal God’s truth and promises to us through His Word.
The Bible is living and dynamic, in that the Holy Spirit can take verses that will directly apply to our circumstances. Of course, we need to be careful to not take verses or promises out of context, but trust Him to hear our cries and respond to our needs.
Awhile back, I wrote “From My Valley of Tears” (July 10, 2019), and mentioned the season of sorrow I was in at that time. He heard my cries and the prayers of my husband and I (and has repeatedly done so) when feeling acutely sad about the circumstances in our life or the lives of others we love.
I Peter 5:7 “…casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (NKJV)
Psalms 34:6-7 “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”
Psalms 34: 18 “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (NASB)
In your “valley of weeping” (Ps. 84), may you experience the “strength to strength”; the ways the Lord can bring blessing and comfort to you, in midst of your season of sorrow. Please read the entry I made in July 2019, as it may be an encouragement to you.
Recently, in a Bible study group I attend, we studied Psalms 42: 1-11, and Psalms 43:1-5. Take a minute to read these psalms. Here the writer of these chapters pours out his deep anguish and thoughts to the Lord. And as he does, he also reminds himself to “hope in the Lord”. He remembers and verbalizes various characteristics of who/what God is, and this brings him comfort, remembering God is “the help of my countenance…” (Ps. 43: 5b)
One day, there will be no more tears, no more sorrow. We will “forever be with the Lord”! (I Thessalonians 4:17-18) Until then, our God can and will bring comfort and joy to each of us. Life will still cause us to grieve and be sorrowful at times, but as I wrote in July 2019 although it won’t “drown” us, we may “still feel the splash”.
However, He is with us in ALL circumstances, and can “lift us up”. Warren Wiersbe writes in his study Bible notes about Psalms 30:5 “As Jesus explained to His disciples, God doesn’t replace sorrow with joy; He transforms sorrow into joy.” (The Wiersbe Study Bible Thomas Nelson 2018 p. 778) Joy will come! Trust Him, ask Him to give you the faith and the HOPE, that lifts the sadness and darkness from your lives, and to transform your sorrow into joy.
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O Lord, You know the thoughts and feelings of our hearts and minds! Grant us the faith, hope, and grace to believe that “joy comes…” after this season of darkness. Help us to remember all the times You have been faithful, and truly believe in the fact that You will never leave us nor forsake us, and promise to give us comfort, and transform our sorrow into joy! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.