I have been dealing with a lot of stuff lately. There has been a seemingly endless pile of things that have sought to consume me. Trials can make you fold or they can make you focus. I have done both, at different times. I have folded only to be reminded by God that He is STILL in control. I have also focused, remembering that as long as I am walking by sight I will fail but when I walk by faith, I am depending on God and not on myself. Focus is one thing, but the object of our focus needs to be defined. Jesus is to be the object of our focus and the issue or trial should not be exalted above Him. Even with the different trials and with both proper and improper responses on my part, God has been faithful and in moments that I felt like there was no hope, He spoke. I cried out to Him, He heard me and He responded.
David speaks of this type of dilemma in Psalm 30:5 and also in Psalm 27:13. He says in Psalm 30:5 that weeping only endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. David was speaking of momentary affliction or chastisement that was brought on by/ allowed by God. This was a teachable moment in his life and these times are also teachable moments in our lives as well. He said in a different Psalm, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes" (Psalm 119:71). The times that we are under the chastisement of God are times when His love for us is made manifest. He chastises those that He loves (Hebrews 12:6). It is during these times where we should listen for what God is trying to teach us.
Momentary chastisement, if we allow it and accept it, can produce a change that is life altering. I know this personally and as I continue to grow, I am beginning to understand that ebbs and flows are inevitable. Just as the tides move onto the shore and the off again, life's issues rise and fall. We live in times of plenty and in times of lack. Life is cyclical with God orchestrating it all. When the tide goes out and times get lean, these are times when God tests our faithfulness. It might seem as if God is not there but God's silence does not proclaim His absence. He's always there. Those silent times are also times when we can truly learn the direction that God has for our lives. Teachable moments are all part of the process of spiritual growth. Rather than complaining in the ebb, I am now starting to use that time to learn the intended lesson and grow so that when the flow comes, I am able to see what the ebb was preparing me for. Just as the ebb is dry, the flow is wet and when the flow comes, the lessons learned in the ebb are priceless. That's when things all come together and we have those spirutal aha moments, and that is when God gets the glory! When everything comes together and everything that God was teaching us in the trial clicks and we see God working things for our good...we should glorify His name and give Him honor, praise and ascribe majesty to Him.
So joy does indeed come in the morning. Night might seem to last forever but as with anything else, night has a limit and must eventually give way to daylight. If you are reading this and you are dealing with an issue or issues, ask this question: "What is God trying to teach me by allowing this situation?" There is a lesson in every trial and every battle that will equip us to fight subsequent battles. God knows exactly what He is doing and it requires faith on our part to trust that His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). I thank Him for joy, His joy that no one can take away (John 16:22), His joy that is our stronghold (Nehemiah 8:10) and His joy that always comes after the night has passed. God's grace be upon you.
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