Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5
Cancer struck more than 30 friends and family members in a three-year period. Most returned to health, but several succumbed to the disease. Also during that time my dad, mother-in-law, and father-in-law died. Then came the shock of our kids’ youth pastor abandoning his family.
Quite honestly, I hope we never experience another season like that again. The darkness of discouragement threatened to overtake us at times, and I wondered if the night would ever end.
The secret to perseverance, I found, was remembering Scripture’s promises to give strength, hope and peace. It helped to recall Jesus’s commands not to fear, and the reminders of His presence. It also helped to know that, contrary to whatever my emotions said, this night would not last forever.
As surely as the sun rises every day, so morning follows the dark night of grief. Wounds heal. We learn to breathe and, yes, to laugh again.
Perhaps the darkness of discouragement surrounds you. The night’s been a long one, and you doubt whether tomorrow’s dawn will ever come. Be encouraged, my friend. Morning’s on its way, and it brings joy.
Faith step: Turn Isaiah 61:3 into a prayer:“Father, thank You for promising to comfort me when I mourn. You will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair. Use my difficult situation to plant me like a strong and graceful oak for Your own glory. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
