Joy Comes...

For many of us there is the temptation to succumb to the Monday morning "Blah's".  For some it may be a Monday morning "Blechh!" Personally, I've experienced the "blah's" and the "blechh's" right along with you.  

Let me encourage you this morning - this bright and beautiful morning - that with the morning, whatever day it may be - joy comes.  Have you ever been really upset in the late evening, perhaps even gone to bed and awaken late at night full of concern, or fear, or regret? Maybe you've even walked the floors all night, too upset to sleep.  Then you see the first glimpses of light break over the horizon, and you begin to feel like you can breathe again.  

Psalm 30:4 tells us to "Sing to the Lord and praise his holy name".  That can be a bit of a stretch when you're in the doldrums.  But the Psalmist encourages us to do that by telling us "why" we should sing.  "God's anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts for a lifetime".  We were separated from God, but through Christ, we have been adopted, we are sons, children of God, and today we are counted as friends of God.  We are no longer subject to His anger, but recipients of His favor.  

That's why, the Psalmist goes on to say, "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning".  Our weeping is over, our joy has come in the form of our leader and forgiver, Jesus. Jesus is the morning sun breaking through our night of loneliness and anxiety.  Jesus IS the light.  Jesus IS our joy.  Joy comes, and has come to make us free from our long dark nights.

I encourage you to join with me, and thumb your nose at the "blechh's" and the "blah's" this morning.  Joy has come.  Joy unspeakable and full of glory!  Psalm 68:8 says, "God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them JOY".  I pray that God's great joy would overtake you in everything you do today.  And that you would be so full of joy, it would rub off on everyone you come in contact with!