Traversing grief

Psalm 30:5 NKJV

For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

Getting stuck in the mire of grief is never God's will for our lives.

Yet we can choose to stay in that pit and let the light of life gradually drain away.

Look at what Jacob pronounced over himself when he heard of Joseph's death.

Genesis 37:35 NLT

His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "I will go to my grave mourning for my son," he would say, and then he would weep.

No, grieving should be a journey - THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death.

Our departed loved ones would hate to see us squandering our days in lonely misery. They would urge us "life is short, so live it".

Remember David's response after hearing his baby son had died.

2 Samuel 12:22-23 NLT

David replied, "I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, 'Perhaps the LORD will be gracious to me and let the child live.' [23] But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me."

Thus the Psalm says weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.

If you are in the midnight hour of mourning, look for signs of the dawn. Surely you will emerge from that dark night of the soul. You will laugh again, you will love again, you will enjoy life again.

Let the Lord turn your mourning into dancing be it ever so slowly with His healing and His timing in His gentle and mysterious way.

I pray you will live to claim this verse as your own:

Psalm 30:11-12 NLT

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, [12] that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever!