Sorrow that Produces Joy

Psalm 30:5

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Crying may be visible and audible, but weeping may not necessarily be. Weeping can be inside your heart. In some versions, ‘sorrow’ is used in place of weeping. As the opening text says, not ever sorrow or weeping leads to joy. Not every tear will end up in laughter, and not every situation will end up with rejoicing. Not every night brings dawn. There are very specific nights and sorrow that end up with the morning, and joy.

God’s anger is for a moment, but His favour is for life. If you are favoured, know that it is for life, for eternity. As the Bible says, His gifts and callings are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29). After suffering some weeping for a while, David knew that God would bring joy, as he wrote this text. Many times, like David, we may go through many things that bring sorrow/weeping; shortly, we will experience joy.

Which kind of sorrow will bring joy?

1.       Sorrow that comes with hope.

As you’re sorrowful, do you have hope that soon your sorrow/weeping will end? When in this sorrow, you are hopeful. Hope is what keeps us going. If you can be hopeful beyond tomorrow, then you will keep going and pressing on past any type of sorrow. Hope keeps you confident that God is for you, and that the sorrow will soon come to an end. Sorrow comes a times to make you despair in the future and goodness of God, but as long as you are still hopeful in the Lord, you will come out victorious.

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God is the one who fills you with hope at all times.

Romans 12:12

...rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

When in sorrow, you should be joyful in your hope. Your hope is what produces joy and strength, that even if you cannot afford a smile because of what you are going through, you can afford one because of hope that things are getting better. Be patient in afflictions, knowing that the situations will not last forever. Wait like a watchman who knows that in the morning dawn is coming.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

These plans that God has for you should help you keep patiently, knowing that they will surely come to pass, no matter how long they take. Be patient, and keep trusting in God.

Romans 5:2-5

 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

After passing all these, you should know that God is doing something in your life. You may have suffered many disappointments and sufferings, but there is one thing that will never disappoint you, and this is hope, hope in God. It is through suffering that you get perseverance, which brings character. You go through things that help you develop a character of always waiting on God. God wants you produce such character in you that always turns your sorrow moments into pools of joy.

Isaiah 30:21

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,“This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

Deuteronomy 31:6

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Even at night, be courageous, knowing that within a short while there will be light. Be courageous that God will never leave you, nor forsake you. This should be our greatest portion. He is with you to guide and lead you out of it all. He is on your side, so trust Him.

Mark 9:23

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Proverbs 10:28

The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

You might lose everything like Job, but do not lose your hope. keep relying in God, that you never lose hope. sorrow may endure for a night, but hope will turn it all into joy, before even the morning comes.

2.      Keep the light burning

Matthew 25:1-13 talks about the 10 virgins who are going to a wedding. It is very important to maintain the light of the Word of God, that He has given you. Remain hopeful in God, keeping the light burning. In the night, learn the secret of keeping the light on, burning. The light is the Word of God. Remain there, keeping your eyes on the Word, rejoicing in sorrowful times. Habakkuk had waited on God for a while, and was wondering what was going on. At the end, he admitted that though he would wait for long, he would still rejoice, and keep his hope in the God of his salvation (Hab. 3:16-19)

There are people who wait on God, and after a short period of time waiting, give up on God and go to look for help elsewhere. Chances are high that on their verge of giving up, their morning was on the brink, almost showing up. Wait on God to the end, with your eyes on the light, His Word and promises. There will come a time that the sorrows you are going through now will turn to be stories and testimonies of victory that you share with people, and this will happen when you wait on God and keep your light burning. It is good that you stay in the line of God. Never leave the Word of God; never forsake God. Let everything come your way, but never let them shake your feet from your standing, in God. The hope of the gospel is very important.

Sorrow may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. At night, you need the light. Night represents sorrowful moments; this is when you need the light of the Word of God. Take advantage of the night, and build your relationship with God. When the morning comes, you will be happy to see it, but because you have spent the night knowing God, you have enjoyed it all.

3.       Do not sell your birth right

Night causes you to feel like giving up, like selling your birth right, like Esau, in Genesis 25. Esau was an outdoors man, a hunter. Jacob was an indoors man, a shepherd. Since Isaac loved meat from the wild, once Esau went out to hunt, and seems like he came to his night moment, when he didn’t get meat for food. He came at home desperate, and found Jacob who had was cooking some red stew. Since Esau felt like dying, having gone through the night period, lacking meat in hunting, he was tempted to and went ahead to sell his birth right.

Jacob ended up receiving his blessing, the birth right that he received from Esau. There are things that we do that may ruin our lives, things that do not even last for a day. The night never lasts past one day. Never come to a point of losing your knowledge of your identity in God, of the love of God, to give up hope. When you get to such a point of wanting to give up, do not compromise, but remember that God loves you, that He has engraved you on the palms of His hands.

I am sure that after Jacob was blessed and took Esau’s portion as Isaac was nearing death, Esau remembered what he sold his birth right for, a bowl of stew, and regretted dearly. It doesn’t matter what comes your way, just do not give up; maintain your faith in God; never disown God. Never compromise your faith, for anything. Let the devil throw all he can your way; you keep your faith in God. Never compromise. Even when everyone is compromising, do not compromising, to death. Even if it comes to a point of life and death, where you get an option of either giving up on God or dying, choose to die, instead of choosing to live without God. Never disown God, to come to a point of being asked if you know God and you deny Him, opting to live.

Habakkuk 3:16-19

When I heard, my body trembled; lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered by bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops. ¹⁷ Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the  olive tree may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹ The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk says that he was at a point of his body trembling, his lips quivering, but he still said that he will patiently wait on God. He says that even though the fig tree did not blossom, no grapes on the vines, no fruit in the fields, no yield from the olive tree, and so on, he will still rejoice in God. He did not say that when all these come he will turn his back on God; he said that he will rejoice in God. Even when you have tried and tried, and there is nothing coming up, and there seems to be hope for tomorrow, hold on to God. See God fighting for you, and standing with you. Wait, and see what God is about to do. Habakkuk said that God made his feet like a deer’s. Never sell your birth right. Let your focus be on God. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.

4.      The best sorrow is the one that brings repentance

As you go through sorrow, remember there is a sorrow that leads to repentance. 

Isaiah 1:18-19

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land...

Use the opportunities that come, the sorrow that comes, to know God and draw closer to him. Sometimes we do  things and bring sorrow on ourselves, due to sin and disobedience, and these are times that we turn to God with repentance and let Him bring us out, stronger in relationship with Him.

Psalm 38:18

For I will declare my iniquity;  I will be in anguish over my sin.

David suffered a night of no friendships. When such sorrow comes, because of sin, just repent, receive God's forgiveness, and move on, knowing that whoever is in Christ is not condemned. This sorrow should not be allowed to bring us down, as Jesus bore all our condemnation on the cross. It's just supposed to lead us to repentance, and once we've repented we should move on, boldly, rejoicing in the gift of forgiveness of sins, and in God's love. 

5.       Remain deep rooted in the love of God

Ephesians 3:17

...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love...

When you know that the much that God loves you there is nothing that can separate you from His love, no matter how dark the night is, you will wait on God. God’s love is so great that nothing can separate you from His love.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 

Be deep rooted in the love of God, knowing that no darkness or night can separate you from it. Have faith, and hold on, that you may see what God is about to do.

Your sorrow will turn into joy, if you wait on the Lord. God is faithful. Never lose hope, in anything and everything, always remembering that God is your portion, your everything.

Blessings. 

-- Pastor Edwin Muriithi.


Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.



Pastor Edwin is a pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry, Joska.