The Temporality of Sorrow

This morning, Psalms 30:5 struck a deep chord within me: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." The scriptures beautifully compare the transient nature of sorrow to the coming of night and day. It made me ponder why the creation story says, “the evening and the morning were the first day…” and each subsequent day followed the same pattern. Perhaps it is because we should be ready to face the dark seasons just as we expect the bright ones. Perhaps the time of planting is a “nighttime,” while the time of harvest is a “daylight time.” No wonder the scriptures tell us that the man who sows in tears will doubtless reap in joy, bearing his sheaves with him.

Grant me grace, dear Lord, to be a man of endurance.

It is certain that I shall face tribulations of many kinds—tests and trials of different sorts. Pain may well be a kinsman I must learn to accept on the road to joy. Without grace, I know I will fall by the wayside, succumbing to my agonies. But I trust my Redeemer, who will raise me up—not only on the last day but also in the delicate moments of contention within my soul. He may ordain pain to try me for a while, but He has promised to come through at the darkest and most nearly hopeless hour.

And though my body may be consumed, my soul will be delivered unto the unshakable assurance of my glorification with the Lord on the Other Side. For even though we are absent from the body, we shall be present with the Lord. There is salvation in Yahweh!

This understanding of the rhythm of night and day—the ebb and flow of sorrow and joy—gives me hope. The night, with all its weeping and uncertainty, is not permanent. Just as morning inevitably follows evening, so too will joy follow sorrow. The trials we face are not the end of our story; they are but chapters in a grander narrative that culminates in eternal joy and rest.

I ask for endurance, Lord, to walk through the night seasons with faith, knowing that You are with me and that joy is on the horizon. I am reminded that the darkness is not a sign of Your absence, but rather an opportunity for Your light to shine even brighter when morning breaks. Let my heart remain steadfast, trusting in Your promise that after the weeping, there will be rejoicing. And let this hope anchor my soul through every trial, until that glorious morning when all sorrow will be wiped away, and we will stand complete in Your presence.