Morning Joy
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning
Psalm 30:5
This is a frequently quoted verse. And one I cling to often.
It's certainly appropriate to reflect on right now, during a time of pandemic and world economic turmoil. But what does it really mean to have morning joy?
Let's think about the morning for a moment, shall we?
The sun rises and the shadows are banished. The dark night slips away and cannot stand up against the glory of the day.
There is fresh coffee to drink, cool breezes to enjoy, and new opportunities to embrace. And in many cases, the weeping subsides. But there is not always joy.
What can you do as you stand in the light of morning to speak joy to your soul?
Remember the Gospel
Above everything else, I encourage you to wake each day and recall what was done for you on the cross of Calvary. Let it sink into your soul and hold onto the truth that the God of the Universe sent His perfect son to die a horrific death that you deserved to die for your sin, and in that act, He exchanged your sin for His perfect righteousness.
When you remember that, everything else pales just a bit in comparison.
Trust in God and turn to Him
After the truth of the Gospel grabs your heart, turn away from your sin and trust in Him. Take the hard things that cause you all that midnight pain and lay them at His feet.
Let Him make your dead heart alive.
Realize that your circumstances may not change
OK, this one is a bummer. But the Word of God says that in this world, we will have trouble. Leaving your old life behind and choosing to take God's side against your sin does not change that.
And sometimes we need that reminder as well.
Praise Him anyway
You were created for worship. Even when you don't feel like it.
In fact, it's in the moments when you are hurting the most that God can come down and show you His grace in unique and marvelous ways. Praise Him for who is is and what He's done, even when you don't understand how He's working in your life.
Be assured that joy will indeed come in the morning
It may not be tomorrow morning, but if you are trusting in Christ, your morning will come… and you will trade in your ashes for beauty.
“the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified” Isaiah 61:3
He will do this for His own glory… and for your most wonderful good. (Romans 8:28)
Sister, your weeping will not last. You will have morning joy!
As a special bonus for you today, I have these FREE Journal Cards that I invite you to download as a place to document these reminders.
Enjoy!
Enjoy and I'll see you soon.
Jen
Love these! Thank you for your contribution to the blog hop. Jen xo
Thankyou for your contribution to the Blog Hop and most of all thankyou for sharing such a great message. God Bless You for doing this.
Thank you so much – the kit looks awesome !!
Thanks so much, Jen!
WOW, these complement the kit so well. Thank you for these cuties!
Thank you!
Thank you very much.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much !
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
thanks Jen!
Thank you for your words of wisdom and morning rituals freebie!
So fun! Thanks for such a an awesome hop! 🙂
Thank you very much!
What an encouraging post! Amen, sister and thank you.
Thank you!!
Hi! I was hoping you could help. The printable prints on a black background (none of my other printables do this so I’m certain it is not my setting). Is it supposed to be black and only showing white on the website? Thanks!
Hey, Mary… it’s NOT supposed to do that and I’m not sure why. I’ll investigate it further tomorrow and get it corrected. I’m sorry.
ETA: I fixed the file and added the extra download above! Enjoy 🙂
thank you!
thank you for the wonderful images
Love your site. Can’t wait to see what you are about.
I just stumbled here.
Thanks for sharing. Happy NSWE