Life is not at all easy. We face daily challenges that test our mettle.
Having now spent more time as a follower of Christ than time being caught up in this world, anticipating joy every morning has become an everyday event in my literal being.
As I lay down my head every evening, I thank God for His provision and all He has allowed me to witness during my waking hours.
Not all is pleasant, but it all has His handprint in whatever has transpired.
The prophet Jeremiah is often referred to as the “weeping prophet.” His God-ordained purpose required him to prophesy one negative event after another during the Babylonian captivity.
Needless to say, rulers don’t easily accept negative reports. The Book of Lamentations is reflective and valuable to those who are facing trials in the lives of those close to them.
The five chapters somberly present God’s compassion and concern for His people who were exiled for their sinful ways.
Perhaps we can learn from Jeremiah’s journaling of the ministry assigned to him by God Almighty.
The Book of Psalms often presents joy as the reward following the trials of a life lived in obedience to God’s will.
In Psalm 30:5, King David declares “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
David is presented in Scripture as a man after God’s own heart. An intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father can often lead to an closeness we cannot fathom.
Before continuing on this discussion of joy in the morning, I need to share that the joy King David describes does not instantly come the next day as we awaken.
When the prophet Nathan confronted his king with his sin with Bathsheba, David had been living with the consequences of that sin for probably a year or more.
It wasn’t until he confessed his sin to Nathan and to his Lord, and that the child born from that sin had died, that David was able to cease mourning and rejoice in his deliverance. Then and only then was there truly joy in the morning, as recounted in 2 Samuel 11-12.
On a personal note, our family has dealt with many challenging circumstances through our 40-plus years of marriage. And none of those challenges simply evaporated the next day.
However, thanks to our intimate relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we found an immediate joy in knowing that we were not going through the trials alone.
We also were blessed with the thoughts and prayers of other believers who encouraged us daily.
Hebrews 10:24-25 has become one of my life verses: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the day approaching.”