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.

Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the JOY of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap in JOY.

Isaiah 61:3 To console those who mourn in Zion, to give beauty for ashes, the oil of JOY for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

It would seem that JOY is tied to the most difficult times of life, weeping, restoration, tears and mourning. There are over 150 verses in scripture that speak about JOY, and most are about God doing only what He can do in the worst times of our life.

Jesus, speaking to His disciples about dying, leaving them for a while and then returning to them in John16:20 said, “Most assuredly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into JOY.

Jesus will not only replace our sorrow with JOY, but He says that He can turn our sorrow into JOY. For the disciples, the sorrow of the cross was the JOY that was set before Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2), and He has turned that sorrow into the JOY of our salvation.

Selah,                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Pastor David