Joy Comes in the Morning

Those who sow with tears

will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping,

carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 126:5-6

Long road trips are tedious and time seems to drag as minutes turn into hours. With modern technology, it’s easy to get an estimated time of arrival. However, in our spiritual lives, the Lord seldom gives us exact timelines. We walk life’s journey with Him and He doesn’t necessarily take us the shortest route but he takes us the best route for us. He knows us inside out and factors in our wrong turns, detours and redirects us accordingly. God’s ultimate goal for us here on earth is to be continually transformed into the image of Christ and that, by any means He sees fit.

We must have patience on the journey. When you’ve been on the road for seven hours and the darkness of a tunnel envelops the vehicle for what feels like forever and it seems like you’ll never see light again; that’s often when you are nearest your destination. You will find that just beyond the darkness is a light so bright it eclipses the very memory of despondency.

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy”

I have seen this promise consistently at work in my life. After a season that is especially difficult, will come a rainbow in the aftermath of the storm, a reminder that bad times never last. You have that same assurance. Joy always comes in the morning. And as you look back on your season of the darkness, you will see and appreciate the value in the waiting, the value in trusting God’s heart even when you couldn’t see His hand. You will have the experience of knowing God in the valley and knowing Him on the mountain top and it will be in the thick of that experience that you will have a deeper and more personal knowledge of the God who does not change.

It won’t be long now before you see His hand in the night, bringing light to every dark corner of your soul and life. It won’t be long now before you see the reason for the journey. It won’t be long now before you reach your destination and see that it is good. And then…another journey begins...