Chapter 9 - Joy in the morning

Return to Main Page

Joy in the morning

• "The next time you go thru one of those deep valleys in your life, think about the peak at the end of it. For as surely as the Lord will carry you thru the darkest time of your life, He will pull you up to the brightest, most wonderful times, and He will always be with you." Rich Miller

Darkness, then light; sorrow then joy

• Psalm 30:5 - For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
  • Saying - - even if the Lord overwhelms us for a time with the darkness of affliction, always, in his own time - - ministers matter for joy, just as the morning arises after the night......
• Phil 4:4 - 4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
• Joy is a quiet gladness of heart as one contemplates the goodness of God's saving grace in Christ Jesus.
• Joy comes from faith and it is given by the Holy Spirit.......
  • Phil 1:25 - 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith
  • Rom 14:17 - 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
• In whatever way God is pleased to help us, he asks nothing in return from us but that we should be thankful for it and remember it.
• Like David, we should tune our hearts to praise God even before God grants deliverance from our troubles. This a matter of faith and hope.... David says he has sorrow in his heart dauly (Psalm 13:2), "but I have trusted in your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because He had dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13:5-6)
  • David can praise God in hope of deliverance - - - why? On account of the joy which is reserved for us in the future, although we do not yet experience it....
  • Kierkegaard said "It takes moral courage to grieve; it requires religious courage to rejoice"

Celebrate God's mercy with joy and thanksgiving

• Whenever God's church (in the Old Testament days) experienced a remarkable deliverance from some calamity, they went to the place of worship to offer sacrifices. Today, the sacrifices of the Law have been abolished, and the distressed church offers the sacrifice of praise
  • Hebrews 13:5 - 15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
  • James 5:13 - 13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
• How many of us lavish hypocritical prasies on God when our careers bring good fortune? The same people, when subjected to difficult situations, are impatient, curse and lash out in anger...... The best evidence of our true piety is when we sigh to God under the pressure of our afflictions and show by our payers a holy perseverance in faith and patience; while afterwards we come forward with the expression of our gratitude.
• Joy and thanksgiving expressed in prayer and praise according to the Word of God are the heart of the Church's worship.

God's word is the ground of our joy

• As we need the Holy Spirit's help to pray (Romans 8:26 - 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.), so we need His Word to teach us how we should praise God
  • Psalm 56:4 - 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
  • it seems David would glory in God in spite of seeming abondonment, and although there should be little outward appearance of help, David would rest contented with the simple security of God's Word.

The call to praise God is for all the saints

• Psalm 34:1 - I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
• Psalm 34:3 - Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
  • We must induce others by our example of praise and devotion!

Praising God when we are sorrowful, ill, or depressed

• There are times when the burden of grief, or the lingering pain of an injury or the darkness of despair make thanksgiving and praise most difficult, even for people of great faith.
• 1 Thes 5:16-18 - 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
• Calvin says Rejoicing refers to moderation of spirit when the mind keeps itself in calmness under adversity and does not give indulgence to grief. Constant praying is the way of 'rejoicing perpetually', for by this means we ask from God alleviation in connection with all our distresses.
• "We can experience joy in adverse circumstances by holding God's benefits in such esteem that the recognition of them and meditation upon them shall overcome all sorrow."
• If we consider what Christ has conferred upon us, there will be no bitterness or grief so intense that it may not be alleviated and give way to spiritual joy.....
• Very ungrateful is one who does not set so high a value on the righteousness of Christ and the hope of eternal life as to rejoice in the midst of sorrow.

Praise is a lifelong exercise

• Psalm 34:1 - I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
• Psalm 104:33 - 33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Christ is our mediator and leader

• Acts 16:25-34 - 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
  • Others will listen to us also, if, under trying circumstances in times of sorrow, praising God and praying -- and they will ask us - - what must I do to be saved?

Return to Main Page