As I write this post, I am barely recognizable. Poison ivy is covering most of my face which is swollen, itchy, stinging, dark red, with weeping sores all over it. I spent much of the past two days researching treatment for poison ivy and kept coming across that word – weeping. Each time I saw it, I remembered God’s promise:
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5
I kept hoping that in the morning, the rash, with its weeping and swelling, would be gone. But alas, it wasn’t. And that begs the question: did my joy come in the morning or not? Is my joy dependent upon the presence of or the lack of an annoying rash? In the larger picture, is our joy dependent upon our circumstances? Can we be joyful in the middle of the struggle?
I believe we can. I believe that’s God’s promise to us.
He says that we weep at night, when it’s dark, when our thoughts can be our own worst enemy. But the morning brings light, and those first rays puncturing the darkness help us to see our circumstances in a whole new way.
The Word says “there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Eccl. 3:4
When Nehemiah, with Ezra and the Levites, saw the people mourning over the destruction of the walls of Jerusalem, he said, “’This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, ‘… Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, ‘Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.’ Then all the people went away …to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.”
Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes with the light of dawn, with new understanding of the Word. When the light of God’s presence pierces the dark, joy comes. And His joy is not dependent on the time of day or a change in circumstances. He Himself is our light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
It is indeed possible to experience joy despite our circumstances when:
- we know the One who causes EVERYthing to work together for good (Rom 8:28).
- we know that our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:17-18)
- we know the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. … but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like an eagle; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
Will you join me in seeking the Light in the midst of darkness? I can say that though my circumstances haven’t changed for the better, God’s presence lifted my spirit and brought joy.
