Joy in the Morning

Psalm 30:5 ~ "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

A tremendous malady falls upon the heart of the Christian when, in the willful acts of sin, we find ourselves in the displeasure of the LORD. It is a sorrow unlike any other when we find that God has seemingly departed and we are bereft and alone. A grief born of the anguish of loss--not the loss of salvation, but the loss of fellowship with the LORD and a loss of the joy He brings. We can endure any suffering if we know that God is pleased with us, but who can stand up in that moment when the anger of the Almighty is heavy? 

David cried out in his distress of sin as he called upon the LORD for His cleansing mercy. His desperate plea was simple and he concluded his petition by asking this: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:12). He longed for that joy again, the ever-sustaining joy of the LORD which is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). What misery it is as we walk in this world if we are absent the joy of Christ's salvation. It is an ever-present reminder that sweet fellowship with Christ is broken, and it is all due to our sin. 

​(Let me lay out a caution before we move further on--if you are joyful in your sin, if there is no grief from God's anger toward sin, if the salvation of Christ is to you more doleful than the entertainments of the world, you may not be truly saved.)

As we look upon our text for today, let us remember that God's anger is but for a moment. He is slow to anger, abounding in love, delighting to show mercy and pardon to those who truly repent. Consider the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses: "The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation'" (Exodus 34:6-7). The LORD's anger is real. And those who are under the heavy hand of God's discipline will find that their joy has turned to sorrow and their peace has turned to grief. And that brings weeping.

This weeping that lasts for a night is the grieving heart of the believer for the sins committed against the LORD. A believer sins against the very grace that saved them. Many who have come to know the mercy of God, and received His salvation and pardon for sin still stumble in their former wickedness. Let it bring a godly grief to your heart that will cause you to weep in grief for your breach of faithfulness. Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 7:10, "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." And it is this weeping that lasts for a night which brings true joy in the morning. When sins are again cleansed through God's great mercy (see 1 John 1:9), when our feet are washed again by Christ Jesus (see John 13:1-11), then there is great joy--a joy that breaks forth like the dawn of a new day.

Beloved, understand that sorrow must give way to joy even as the night must give way to the dawn. Your weeping over sins will bring the cleansing showers of mercy upon you from Christ and that, my friends, is a joy that will never fade. Remember, His mercy is new every morning (see Lamentations 2:22-23). Our text declares that God's favor is for a lifetime whereas His anger is but for a moment. 

Have you sinned? Then quickly run to the Father who is rich in mercy! Plead for His grace through Christ Jesus and make no excuses for sin. Do not trifle with sin, and do not let it linger. Let weeping come in repentance. And though it may last for a night, the forgiveness of God will break forth like the dawn and His joy will shine once more upon you.

In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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