Evening Tears and Morning Joy
Scripture Reading — Psalm 30
His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
“I was lost, but now I am found!”
“I was on the brink of death, but now I am healed!”
“I was drowning in despair, but now I have hope!”
Words like these are a strong testimony to the power of God to save, heal, and restore.
Psalm 30 gives us a similar testimony. God has heard the psalmist’s prayers, and the writer rejoices at the way God has answered so completely. Indeed, tears of grief turn to tears of joy, and the sound of wailing is replaced with singing and dancing.
By thanking God publicly, the psalmist invites others to share in his joy and praise. “This is who God is,” he is saying, in effect, to his fellow worshipers; “God is the one who saved me, and here is how he did it.”
Experiencing God’s deliverance isn’t something we can easily forget. It changes the way we live, the way we worship, and the way we pray.
Does anyone near you today need to hear this testimony to answered prayer? It’s important that they hear it so that they can dare to pray their prayers for help. We all need the assurance that God hears and responds to our prayers.
Who needs to hear your testimony today?
O Lord our God, you take away our grief and replace it with joy. Help us to know you always hear us and care for us. We give you thanks forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Thea Leunk
Thea Nyhoff Leunk has been a high school English teacher, a director of Christian education, a pastor of discipleship, and a regional coach for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. She is currently the senior pastor at Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thea has also written courses for teens and young adults on world religions, Christian faith traditions, and science and the Bible. She and her husband have three adult children.
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