Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 30: 5b

Years ago I heard someone despair to the point of wondering if they “would ever smile again.” I know of another man who is constantly reminded of a personal pain that has impacted nearly every part of his life. That’s a pretty dark outlook on life, wouldn’t you agree? What about you? Have you experienced “weeping that endures the night” or considerably longer?

This verse from the Psalms came to mind as I thought about some of life’s darker circumstances. As for me, sometimes I’ve had a hand in my own problems while others are simply the result of living in a broken world, but for those who trust in God there is a joy found in the light of the morning.

For some the joy returns quickly, for others it is a bit longer. Think of Joseph who waited for years, first as a slave and then as a prisoner before he was recognized as an “overnight success” in Egypt. We don’t know the precise times of Job’s long dark night before his joy was restored, but morning did indeed come.

It’s easy to become preoccupied with the weeping of the night, especially as you are in the middle of the circumstances. Still we should be confident in the promises of God. God is good and God is faithful.

As Joseph told those who originally sold him in to slavery, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).