Feb. 12 | The Promise of Joy
Psalms 126:5-6, “5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”
The above verse is not a lighthearted answer to your hurts, but a timeless promise, based upon the very nature of God and the work of Jesus on the cross (Isaiah 53:4). This is why God doesn’t want you to hold back your tears, pretend something doesn’t hurt or try to run away from the pain. He wants you to take your problems head on with Him because He will turn your tears into seeds of joy. God promised to give you a harvest of joy for every tear you cry.
In this world, you will get hurt and suffer great pain. You will bury loved ones, hear of innocent people being abused and face situations that will crush your heart into a million pieces. During those times you may cry and bleed on the inside like you never thought possible. Sometimes the pain will last far longer than the tragedy itself. However, as much as you weep and experience pain, is to the degree that God promised to heal you.
In this world you will have sorrow but, because of Jesus, you can have great joy that will overcome all your sorrows. The Spirit of God is able to fill you with inexpressible joy and remove all of your hurts (Psalm 16:11). David said, in Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning!” There will most certainly be times of hurt but, as surely as the sun rises, there will also be times of great joy. This doesn’t mean you will forget your pain; however, it does mean that you will not live with the feeling of your pain forever. Joy is also a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and should be present in our lives, no matter our troubles. Billy Sunday said, “If you have no joy, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere.”
In God’s presence, He will overcome your sorrow with joy and conquer your turmoil with peace beyond your understanding. You will have so much joy that others around you will want to know your secret. God’s overflowing joy, in you, can actually bring others to know Jesus as their Healer, too, because they will want to know why you are facing the same kinds of things they are but having different results. The reason you have victory is because God promised that you would reap His healing and bring forth songs of joy!
REFLECTION
Do you believe God’s joy is greater than your pain and sorrow?
ACTION
- Think of the painful things you are facing in life right now and ask God to heal your broken heart and give you His overflowing joy.
- Remember to patiently wait on the Lord, in prayer and confession of His promises, until your night passes and the morning comes.
- Share God’s joy with others today!