Unwrapping Advent: Through Voices of Wisdom Dec. 19
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Day 19
1I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
3You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
***
11You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 30:1-5, 11-12 NIV
Joy in the Morning
To come to the end of a time of anxiety and fear! To feel the cloud that hung over us lift and disperse – the cloud that dulled the heart and made happiness no more than a memory! This at least is one joy that must have been known by almost every living creature.
~ Richard Adams, Watership Down
When reading the book Watership Down by Richard Adams, I came across this passage that reminded me of Psalm 30. The characters in the book just overcame several obstacles that were life-threatening, but the joy they found afterward exceeded any that they knew before.
If we have ever gone through a time of darkness, then we can identify with the characters in the book. The joy we experience after those particularly dark times is understood only by those who have also gone through dark times.
Life will have times of darkness; God does not promise us smooth sailing all the time or a trouble-free existence. In fact, we are told throughout the Bible that we will experience times of trial and tribulation.
But what God does promise is always to walk by our sides through the dark times, through the night. And we will find joy in the morning, made all the more intense because of our journey through the darkness.
Reflect: Where are you in life right now: darkness or morning? If darkness, know that you are not alone, and God is by your side. If morning, how might you praise God today?
Pray: Dear God, thank You for Your faithfulness through times of darkness. Thank You for the joy that comes in the morning. I will praise You forever. Amen.
Misty Standifer
Children’s Ministry Representative
Administrative Council