Joy after sorrow

The realization that ultimate victory belongs to the child of God should buoy us up in the midst of any storm. There is no reason to become sorrowful, since we know that at the end, we shall have the last laugh. The word of God shows us that every affliction that the child of God passes through shall ultimately result in glory (2Corinthians 4: 16 – 18). God never leaves us to go through dark

phases of life alone; He is with us through thick and thin. It was this confidence that made David the Palmist to write:

Psalm 34: 1 – 4 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

David had many troubles; but he overcame all. If there was any person whose life teaches us how to rise above troubles of life, it was David. He suffered rejection. He experienced loneliness. He was exposed to threat of life; his life was threatened by both wild animals and wild humans. He experienced euphoria that was short-lived (punctured by trauma) more than once. His goods were looted; his family kidnapped. He had moral lapses that resulted in grievous consequences. Yet he rose above all to live a victorious life and to bequeath a great legacy to his posterity. Till today, David remains an iconic historical figure both within and outside religious circles.

His example teaches us in a compelling way that ultimate victory belongs to those who believe in and submit to God.

What was David’s secret? Simply, God!

At the dedication of the house of David (see 2Samuel 5: 1 – 12), he sang unto God:

Psalms 30:1  I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

It was in that same Psalm 30 that David gave us that ageless word of wisdom that even non-Christians like to quote:

Psalms 30:5  …weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

 How shall this happen? David pointed us to God again. He wrote:

Psalms 30:11-12  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

David’s example showed that God can turn all prayer points in our lives into praise points, so that we might be able to praise Him (don’t forget, praise is God’s “food”). Do you have any trouble today?

Trust God – He shall grant you victory.

TO BE CONTINUED

READ ALSO: Joy after Sorrow (I)