From Mourning to Joy

Jeremiah 31:7 – “For thus says the Lord: Sing with gladness …, and shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people.’”

Many of us are familiar with mourning. We grieve the loss of a loved one. We mourn a missed opportunity or a hasty decision. We feel the hurt of betrayal and the pain of things not going the way we expect them to. The Israelites too were no strangers to mourning. They had faltered in their faith and followed foreign gods. They bore the brunt of their unfaithfulness when God let them be invaded and plundered.

Yet, in the midst of all this, God gives prophet Jeremiah His word. He gives the Israelites a promise that He will bring them back and save them. They were mourning the loss of their life as they knew it. They were living in deep darkness but the morning was coming. Their mourning would turn to joy. Therefore, they could choose to cling to this promise from God and joyfully live in expectation.

Are you in a period of mourning? Do you feel the night is never-ending? Take heart. Though weeping may last through the night, morning is coming… and with the morning comes joy (Psalm 30:5). In the midst of the darkness, you can hold on to the sliver of hope that you find in God’s Word. Cling to His promises and let it brighten the path just ahead of you. You don’t have to fear what is to come, God is already there. He will turn your mourning to joy. He will take you through the darkness and bring you out into His marvelous light.