Joy Cometh In The Morning
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning ~ Psalms 30:5.
Introduction:
The precious words — “joy cometh in the morning” — summarize a powerful prophetic exhortation and an assurance about our joyous hope in God even in the midst of life’s trials. They have blessed, consoled and comforted very many people over many generations, and I am certain that they will comfort you as well.
The question is not whether we will encounter trials, but whether we know enough to handle them skillfully. When trials come our way, we just must deal with them God’s way. For instance, Jesus Christ said we must “be joyful”, no matter what happens to us (John 16:33).
In spite of all the chaos in our world presently, this long-proven truth in Psalm 30:5 reminds us that our difficult seasons won’t last forever, even the unbearably painful and most frightening ones. God’s goodness will yet break forth like the morning dawn, and make room for resounding Holy Ghost joy.
What has man not seen yet on these shores? The night of sighing, and the morning of scintillating celebration? The night of dense clouds, and the morning of brightest sunshine? The night of dark silence, and the blissful morning when all birds are singing? In pains or in gains, it’s all a part of the realities of life. And, no matter what betides us, joy comes in the morning! Alleluia!!
Thankfully, our suffering is not an exercise in futility. In it all, God has goodly purposes, and we can “count it all joy” because God is working in all situations for our ultimate glorification. We can as well believe, therefore, that the bright morning sunshine shall soon cast its beautiful rays upon our situations, regardless of our present experiences.
It is always a memorable moment in the history of the human spirit, when we suddenly wake up in the morning to see that the El-Shaddai God has turned the ugly stories around, overnight. That is the way God works regularly to assist the sons of men. And, this was evidently clear in the life and the experience of David (Psalms 126:1-6).
What a glad moment it was for Thomas Didymus when, after a week of the blackness, he stood again face-to-face with Jesus, and learnt that His heart was still beating in his favour, and that His pierced hands were held out to him in love again. Alleluia!
Cultivating Joy Before The Dawn of Testimonies
Flowing from the encounters of David, we notice that he always found joy amidst griefs by trusting in the goodness of God. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy is not gone forever! Just like one wise man said: “tough times never last, only tough people do”.
Real joy comes from God, hence, you will experience true joy when you make it a priority to seek God. He is the Joy-Giver! Real joy does not shift with changes in the atmosphere around us, it is rather reinvigorated, no matter what the situations may be, when God is involved.
Praising God and thanking Him will also increase your joy! Do not spend all your days thinking about how things will be. In faith, cast all your cares upon the Lord (1 Peter 5:6-10). Additionally, using your gifts, talents, and time to bless and encourage others will further increase your joy. And, by means of these, any believer can counteract negative feelings to enjoy an ever increasing joy in the Holy Ghost.
In general, how we live and what we say daily about the pressures of life certainly do influence us and the people around us (Philippians 2:14-18; 4:4). Therefore, we must also master the spiritual art of joyful communications in our daily lives.
Most assuredly, to cultivate joy, we must deal with guilt-consciousness by genuinely repenting of our sins and personally receiving Jesus Christ the Saviour.
In all circumstances, dare to believe that the love of Jesus who died for you is dealing with all the mysteries, misfits and dark problems of your life. Even if your pain is a consequence of your disobedience to God, you can still rely on His everlasting mercy as you repent (Isaiah 54:7-8).
However, please note that the force of joy does not come about automatically. Why? Our minds, wills and emotions do not always cooperate with the mind, will and emotions of God. We must learn therefore to yield to Him, and allow His virtues to flow through us by walking daily in the Holy Spirit.
Our Imminent Grand Morning of Joy
Let me leave you with this very important consideration. In order to fully relish the joy of the Holy Ghost, we must take the future into account. We must be able to look farther to heaven, and base our joy on looking to God and to the inheritance reserved for us in the heavenly places.
Sometimes, the Christian hope for heaven is ridiculed in our days. Amusingly, the lost mock those whose lives are characterized by the heavenly hope. However, most happily, our Grand Morning of Joy is not of this world. It is glorious, eternal, weighty and reserved in the heavens for us who have opened our hearts to Christ here on earth (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
Even Jesus Christ endured the Cross because of this joyous and eternal hope that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). And, we also must realize that the suffering we endure in this life cannot compare with the joy that is laid up for us in heaven.
The believers are strangers here on earth (1 Peter 2:11). Therefore, our pains will last only for a little while, and real joy will come in the morning. When we eventually depart from this world, the final Morning of Joy will come for us, and we shall see radiant faces welcoming us on the other side. Yes, in that fair morning, real joy will at last be at the full tide, never to recede.
Meanwhile, we must look away from the things which are temporal, and give diligence to make our future happiness sure. Then, the voice of joy will ring through our hearts, and our tongues will sing of God’s eternal care! Sorrow and sighing will flee away, and there will be the shout of joy, in the morning (Revelation 21:4)! Alleluia!!
Friends, the night may have lingered, but the dawn is certainly coming. It will burst forth with light and life eternal. Joy will come, because the night will always pass and God’s grace will always fall afresh with the dawn of every new day. Please, hold tight to that truth, and wait anxiously for the coming break of dawn. It is sure to come, and you won’t miss it, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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