Joy Comes in the Morning
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.
Think about it for just one moment. Can you remember a night not followed by a morning?
What a faithful Creator! He did not leave out a single detail. Ever since His hand set the forces of the universe in motion, the sun has never failed to shine after a long, dark night.
- Watchman, What of the Night?
- Weeping May Endure for the Night
- A Compensation Plan
- But How Long is a While?
- Beware of Night Creatures
- Walk and Believe
- Songs in the Night
- And What is My Portion?
- Until Morning Breaks and Shadows Flee Away
Watchman, What of the Night?
Yet, like impatient children, we repeatedly ask, “How much longer until the morning comes?” See how Isaiah captures this very issue:
Isaiah 21:11-12
He calls to me…
“Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?”
The watchman said,
“The morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
Return! Come back!”
Notice the first part of the watchman’s message: “The morning comes AND ALSO THE NIGHT.” The Message Bible interprets the second part of the night watchman’s response, “If you ask me again, I’ll give you the same answer!” It all sounds quite pessimistic, right?
But this is the reality. We all have our nights, and some certainly seem longer than others.
Throughout the Bible, the Scriptures give us detailed insights into the many “nights” God’s men and women passed through. And what do we discover? In those who put their trust in God, their “nights” produced a delightful character of patience and perseverance:
Romans 5:3-4 (Amplified Bible)
Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.
And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of]joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.
As they patiently endured the nights God sent their way, beautiful mornings dawned upon them. In the early rays of God’s fresh light, these saints understood what His loving hand had accomplished during their long, distressful night.
Weeping May Endure for a Night…
King David penned Psalm 30 for the dedication of his first house after becoming king. These lines contain an especially rich promise for us:
Psalm 30:5
Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.
David experienced many long nights full of tears, but how glorious the morning after was!
Psalm 92:2
To shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, penned the saddest book in the Bible: Lamentations. Yet even in such darkness of night, he looked forward through the windows of God’s promises and declared:
Lamentations 3:22-23
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are NEW EVERY MORNING;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Remember: for every night, there is always a morning!
A Compensation Plan
Paul gave a unique description of what appears to be a heavenly “compensation plan”:
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For AS THE SUFFERINGS of Christ ABOUND in us, SO OUR CONSOLATION ALSO ABOUNDS through Christ.
The only psalm penned by Moses contains a unique prayer that echoes Paul words:
Psalm 90:15
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
Yes, God’s “compensation plan” for His children makes all the nights worthwhile!
But How Long is a While?
1 Peter 5:10
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered A WHILE, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
At a second glance, we have to ask, “Is Peter really trying to encourage us with the words, ‘a while’?”
The answer to that question depends on just how long a “while” is. Unfortunately, Peter does not even give one clue about that.
The ever-inquisitive yet slow-learning disciples had this same question after Jesus repeatedly used the phrase “a little while”:
John 16:16-18
“A LITTLE WHILE, and you will not see Me; and again A LITTLE WHILE, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”
Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A LITTLE WHILE, and you will not see Me; and again A LITTLE WHILE, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?”
They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A LITTLE WHILE’? We do not know what He is saying.”
It’s obvious how totally frustrated they were to hear Jesus use the phrase “a little while.”
Then Jesus answered their question with a simple discourse on perhaps one of the greatest earthly joys of all: childbirth:
John 16:21
A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
What a strange answer, right? Why is He talking about childbirth? He was shifting His disciples’ attention to see things from our eternal God’s point of view. Jesus is teaching that it is not how long the “little while” is, but rather, what follows the “little while” that makes the suffering of the “little while” worth the while! Hallelujah!
Beware of Night Creatures
All too often during our nights, we focus upon that darkness. We insist on asking: “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” The hours drag on and on. For some strange reason, the hands on the clock must know when we are staring at them, for they almost slow down to a complete halt when you are in a hurry.
Some people end up becoming “night creatures.” They dwell so much on their past nights that even when the morning dawns, they cannot see it. They just keep talking about all their trials, conflicts, and disappointments. Their continual, mournful, self-centered song sounds like an old African-American spiritual:
“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.
Nobody knows my sorrows.”
How sad for them! Being focused on their nights, they completely miss God’s purpose for allowing them to pass through the night. They have become spiritually nocturnal!
Jacob did have a rough time for years. However, it seems like, at least in part, he had become one of those “night creatures.” Although he trusted God, he sure did his share of complaining even after his morning dawned and he saw Joseph alive:
Genesis 42:36 And Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. ALL THESE THINGS ARE AGAINST ME.”
Genesis 47:9
And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; FEW AND EVIL have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
Walk and Believe
Look at Jesus’ teaching again:
John 12:35-36 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. WALK while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, BELIEVE in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
Jesus says that we can prepare for those inevitable nights.
…WALK while you have light…
…while you have the light, BELIEVE…
“Walk” and “Believe” are essential words during our good times of light, revelation, and revival. “Believe” means to take into our hearts the truths we have heard Jesus speak and fully trust Him. “Walk” means to integrate those truths into our daily lives by practicing them. If we purposefully believe and walk, then when night comes, we will not become “nocturnal creatures” without sight. Instead, we will be “sons of light,” knowing where we are going regardless of the darkness around us.
How strange to see what Jesus says immediately after that teaching:
John 12:36
“These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.”
Why did He do that? Scripture gives us no clue, but perhaps He was giving them an opportunity to practice what He had just taught them: “Were you truly believing? Were you actually walking!” Hmm…
Songs in the Night
But what do we do if we are passing through a night right now?
Darkness, trouble, pain, confusion. The psalmist was experiencing the night once again:
Psalm 77:7-9
Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His promise failed forevermore?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?
Selah.
Yes! It’s definitely a good time for a “Selah,” a Hebrew word meaning “Take time out for a musical interlude so we can think about what we just sang!”
Now, the psalmist did have quite a complaint. He seemed to be giving room to self-pity. But then he recalls the secret of making it through the long, dark night:
Psalm 77:10 And I said, “This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
Psalm 77:6 I call to remembrance MY SONG in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search.
In another psalm, we read a similar comment:
Psalm 42:8
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night HIS SONG shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
Songs in the night. Songs that God gives. Songs that become our journey-encouraging prayers. Not songs of self-pity, self-seeking, and grumbling, but delightful songs of how good and faithful the Lord is to bring joy in the morning!
Talking about our nights only attracts other “night creatures,” but singing of God’s grace causes the morning to dawn in our hearts even before the light brightens our night!
Joshua commanded the Israelites as they marched around Jericho – a city with high and fortified walls:
Joshua 6:10
Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”
Imagine how hard that must have been for those marching Israelites. And for us, oh, how absolutely impossible it is to stay quiet and keep from murmuring during our nights! We have to tell someone…somewhere…somehow!
But Joshua’s command goes for us as well. If we want the next morning’s victory to come, keep quiet – not one complaint – during that night. Then, without fail— the walls will fall, and shouts of joy will come in the morning!
And What is My Portion?
David had learned contentment even amid the dark nights he had passed through. Rather than complain and murmur, David always counted his portion in life as coming directly from God’s hand. When opportunities came to avenge himself of those who had made his life so miserable, he let them pass right by him to the horror of his comrades.
David never considered his harsh circumstances to be mere “bad luck.” No way! He received it all – the good and the bad – as his “portion” from the Lord:
Psalm 16:5-8,11 (NIV) Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup; You make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; Even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken… You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, With eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
The prophet Isaiah gives us both an exhortation and a harsh warning:
Isaiah 50:10-11
Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God.
Look, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with sparks:
Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—
“Look, all you who kindle a fire…” What a temptation it is to make our own fire and light when the darkness drags on and the morning seems so far away. “Walk in the light of your fire…” We may go ahead and kindle that fire, but soon, we will find that we cannot get very far without ending up lost in the darkness once again. But those who fear the Lord will find His shoulder is the only comfort they need until the morning light breaks:
Song of Songs 8:5
Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning upon her Beloved?
Right after Joseph had just woken up from two dreams about a morning that would miraculously dawn for him, he suddenly found himself in the middle of a dark night that lasted for many years!
However, Joseph knew the secret. God was his portion and he kept his eyes focused on God’s ultimate goodness, for he knew that in God’s agenda, morning always follows the night. Though he had the opportunity to slay his nightmare-makers (his own brothers), he let it pass right by him:
See how the psalmist sings of Joseph:
Psalm 105:18-19
They hurt his feet with fetters,
He was laid in irons.
Until the time that his Word came to pass,
The Word of the Lord tested him.
As Joseph saw his brothers bowed before him, there was not one ounce of bitterness in his heart!
When we trust God, we get better, not bitter!
Joseph knew full well that his long-awaited morning had come. Just taste the sweetness in his voice:
Gen 50:20-21 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
The psalmist made it through his nights as well, and now morning light has made everything so very clear:
Psalm 119:67-68,71-72 Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your Word. You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes… It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
Until Morning Breaks and Shadows Flee Away
Take another glance at that first day of Creation:
Genesis 1:3-5
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.
So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Here is a unique observation. Our day starts with a morning and ends with a night, but that’s not how God views it. The Scripture says:
“So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
God makes the same statement at the end of each of the six days of Creation. It is for this reason that the Jews, even to this day, have always begun their day at 6:00 p.m.
In the all-wise mind of God,
morning is not first but last on His agenda.
And so it will be when all our nights are over, and we arrive at that final morning of eternity. The last chapters of the Bible tell us two times: “There shall be no night there” (Rev 21:25; Rev 2:5).
In the sweet love book Song of Songs, we read this phrase twice:
Song of Song 2:17; 4:6
Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee away…
There is one final morning coming. There will be no night there! There will be no more pain, sickness, darkness, or sorrow.
Revelation 21:4-5
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, sorrow, or crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
All the shadows of the night will vanish in the dawn of that eternal morning! As Paul penned:
1 Cor 13:12
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
If your night seems long and drawn out, don’t give up! Your morning is sure to come. God’s “compensation plan” for His children is wonderfully extravagant and never fails!
His faithful work in us will be finished (Phil 1:6), and we will enter into the “joy of [our] Lord” (Mat 25:21,23). Jude affirms this in his epistle’s ending doxology:
Oh, what a Day that will be when we will no longer need to inquire: “Watchman, what of the night?”
Jude 1:24-25
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory
with EXCEEDING JOY,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
Psalm 30:5
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning!
