Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5
WHAT a wonderfully encouraging portion of scripture! Of course you must believe that this is more than nice poetry. There will always be those who boo who it. There may be some who because of their hard life do not believe this verse.
Do you hear the faith of this psalmist?
He is daring to tell us that in this world of change and decay, in this world where our hearts are so often broken and our faces so often wet with tears, that joy may be a more abiding guest than sorrow.
He doesn’t promise exemption from sorrow. Rather, he says that weeping may come and spend the night, but it need not stay the week-end. Tears may come, but they will be transient. With the rising of the sun they will vanish like the dew. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
It seems his view is just the opposite of the commonly accepted view. Are we not constantly reminding ourselves of the transience of our joys? We go on endlessly with our songs of “Wasted days and wasted nights” But here is a glad voice raised to tell us that it is weeping that is soon gone. It may tarry for a night, but joy will surely come with the morning.
Do you see that his faith is not born out of a stubborn refusal to face the ugly facts of life. He real believes that weeping will only last for a night.
He faces all the terrifying enemies that surround us and still he clings to his faith.
When, this singer tells us that, though weeping may tarry for a night, joy will come with the morning, he is telling us a truth he has come to know by the painful path of experience.
He threw himself in his weakness into the Everlasting Arms of God described in Deuteronomy 33:27 and God did not fail him.
He has turned for me my mourning into dancing, he sings proudly. He came, he declares, like a wise and tender nurse and removed my galling garment of sackcloth and decked me in a garment of gladness. And what God has done for me, he declares with assurance, he will do for you. Weeping may tarry for a night, but joy will come in the morning.
What good is this kind of faith?
It keeps alive our hope. Keeping alive our hope, it also enables us to carry on with patient courage. It is hard to see things through with honor if hope is gone. Some manage it, but it is very difficult.
As a firefighter and first responder I have looked into the face of one who had committed suicide. It was a pathetic face, it was one of hopelessness. He had lost heart and gave up the fight.
Friends the night of weeping may be long and lonely, but we will not give up, if we are sure that joy is coming in the morning. Not only will this faith give us hope and thereby minister to our courage and patient endurance, it will be light to us during the night of our weeping.
Q. What is it that makes sorrow so bitter?
A. Hopelessness.
If we could only feel there is a cure, it wouldn’t be so hard.
If we could just believe that weeping is but temporary!
If we could just believe, that joy comes in the morning.
For instance, when my mom and dad were unaware of my whereabouts, or whether I was alive or not, they were pretty desperate. You can imagine their desperate cry to God in their new found faith. For months they cried out without any kind of answer. Just a desperate pleading.
Then to their amazement there is postcard in the mail box informing them to read the story of the Prodigal son and that I would see them in the spring. A moment later although my whereabouts were still unknown, the despair was gone from my parent’s heart. A great joy had come in its place. And then when I did come home - the said they had expected me!
To those of you who are passing through a long night of weeping, I beg you to hear this message. Hear it, and your heart will sing. Joy is coming in the morning.
Nobody can be utterly cast down who believes that.
Psalms 37:23-25 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
But is such a faith possible for us who live in these trouble filled days?
This psalmist seems to think so. He himself had been suffering from some deadly disease. He had been so close to the gates of death that he saw himself as being among the dead. In his desperate plight he had cried to God, and God had heard and healed.
Can we, too, then believe that God will always heal the sick and suffering that cry to him?
There are those who pray just as earnestly as this poet, who, in spite of all their prayers, in spite of the prayers of those who love them, go quickly down to death. Then there are others who go on suffering for long, torturing years. Paul was such a one. He pleaded earnestly and insistently for the removal of his thorn, but his request was not granted. But while God does not always see fit to give physical healing in answer to our prayers, He does something that may be even better… He gives to him who really prays an inner strength, a calm courage that enables him to bear whatever load is laid upon him.
I Corinthians 10:13 God is faithful, He will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it.
Friends, God Himself gives in answer to prayer a quiet heart, an abiding peace, and a fullness of life. We learn with Paul that God’s grace is sufficient and we too shout, Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest on me. II Corinthians 12:9
We need to hear Christ say, You may be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Isaiah 55:12, 35:10 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands…...And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
We believe that this is going to be true in a fuller sense in the eternal future.
We further believe it is true in the here and now. Let not your heart be troubled you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. John 14:1
These are the words of our Christ. Since they are true we are safe in cherishing the wildest dreams for the future. In the presence of pain and change, in the presence of death itself we sing with calm confidence: "Joy will come in the morning.”
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