Have you heard the saying: ‘joy comes in the morning’?
It’s such an encouraging sounding saying, but what does 'joy comes in the morning' actually mean?
Taking a look at this quote brings a whole new depth to this popular verse from scripture.
If you head to Psalm 30 and read verses four and five you’ll find the famous passage:
Sing the praises of the Lord, you His faithful people; praise His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
The whole of Psalm 30, a song written by David, reinforces some foundational themes of the Christian faith. As you read through, you realise that: ‘joy comes in the morning’ is just one of the verses that reminds us of God’s goodness and His devotion to us.
If you’re going through a tough season of life, then here are two uplifting encouragements drawn from ‘joy comes in the morning’ for you to hold onto.
"Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" has a clear, hopeful message. It encourages us to set our sights on the joy and on the light to come. Even in the darkest and most painful of nights, we can trust that there is joy to come.
God isn’t just good some of the time, or when He feels like it, He is good all of the time. We can trust in God’s goodness and His love because He is holy and perfect.
God’s holiness means we don’t have to worry about His motivations or emotions. He isn’t swayed by sin, or tempted by darkness. He is sovereign and King over all so His goodness isn’t just a passing feeling. His goodness is rooted in His perfection and purity. We can trust in His goodness because it is part of His unshakeable kingdom.
That doesn’t mean we won’t face times of life when we question God’s goodness. But during these ‘dark nights’, remember that even if we can’t see it or feel it, God’s goodness is immovable and unchallenged.
No matter what, trust that God is always working to turn the darkness in our lives into light.
Next time you find yourself in a hopeless place, remember that the promise of joy in the morning is not a trite, meaningless phrase. You can trust that you will live to see God’s unflappable, never-ending goodness worked out in your life.
This verse in Psalm 30 not only serves to encourage us during tough times, it also speaks of a bigger picture and ancient plan that we are all a part of.
As David sings of the joy to come in the morning, after a night of darkness and weeping, he is prophesying about the Savior to come: Jesus Christ.
The Bible is full of examples of prophecy, specifically times when Jesus fulfilled the words spoken by prophets who lived generations before Him, recorded in the Hebrew Bible. It’s so encouraging to know that, no matter what we face today, that we are living as part of a plan, laid by the God of the universe, to save and redeem humanity.
Who knows how David would have imagined the joy in the morning to come, or when. But around a 1000 years after David, Jesus, who was called Son of David, rose from the dead. This incredible, world-changing event was a triumph of light, life and joy over darkness and death for the whole world.
So when you think about this verse, let the incredible scale of God’s goodness sink in and overwhelm you.
You can cultivate a lifestyle of hope. By embracing certain, daily rhythms you posture yourself to choose hope over fear and to focus on the joy to come.
Living a lifestyle of hope helps you to navigate the challenges of life with grace and strength. It can equip you to triumph over trails, letting them transform you for the better, instead of leaving scars of bitterness and pain.
In James 1, we find the challenging teaching to, "consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials".
Living with an awareness of the joy to come, and of the ancient plan laid by a good God that we are living through, empowers us to embrace the trials of life.
When you truly trust in the never-ending goodness of God you are able to rejoice, no matter what you’re facing, knowing that God will bring light out of the dark.
Practice these rhythms daily to help you hold onto hope. They make focusing on the joy, instead of the difficulty, so much easier.
whether you’re grumpy or joyful, tired or energised, make time to worship God. Worshipping is a very practical way of swapping our focus from ourselves to God. As we do that, we embrace a perspective shift that helps us connect with God’s plan and God’s goodness. Downloading the Glorify App can help with your daily worship routines.
it’s so tempting to retreat and withdraw during hard times. It’s hard to be vulnerable when you’re really struggling. But, opening up to your community is a really healthy discipline during hard times. We can convince ourselves that it’s better not to burden others with our problems, but by closing down we can end up pulling away from the hope and strength that community can offer.
the more you read of God’s word, the more the truth of His goodness and the impact of His ancient plan will sink into you. Our world can be a challenging, painful place. We need to know the details of God’s plan. Knowing what He has spoken and what He has promised helps us to stay hopeful today.
Photos by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash
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