Psalm 30:5

"Joy Comes In The Morning"

"For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."  The trouble with life is that it's so "daily," so bone-chilling at times, so monotonous and yet so terrifying!  In one moment a happy family is on vacation and then in an instant, they're all killed in a freak accident and only the father survives.  Our prayers and love go out to that man, along with all those dead and still missing in Japan, and everywhere in the world where people have lost loved ones, friends and neighbors in disasters.

Job knows about it; David knew the night weeping; Moses was angered and wept for an immoral people; and Jesus wept  ...  not for the death of Lazarus, but for having to bring him "back" to this life "from paradise."  But, to all who have known pain, deep sorrow, weeping and despair  ...  there is a rainbow; there is an everlasting hope  ... "JOY Comes In The Morning."

"For our light and momentary troubles are

achieving for us an eternal glory that far

outweighs them all." 

(2 Corinthians 4:17)

"But we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."  (Romans 5:3-5)  Barnes' Notes explains it perfectly, "The word rendered 'experience' means trial, testing, or that through examination by which we ascertain the quality or nature of a thing, as when we test a metal by fire, or in any other way, to ascertain that it is genuine." 

How many times have we heard people say they don't go to Church because there are hypocrites there.  The problem with people harboring that theory is "they're not looking up!"  People who are always looking down will see only the dross of earth; we must keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ  ...  everything else is imperfect in life  ...  i.e. "the pearly gates ain't clicked behind any of us yet."  We, humans, are always in a trial process, growing, learning, enduring, loving, forgiving  ... forgiving  ...  forgiving, or rather, we should be!  

"Afflictions are often sent for this purpose, and patience in the midst of them shows that the religion which can sustain them is from God."  (Barnes' Notes)  

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,

because when he has stood the test, he will receive

the crown of life that God has promised to those

who love him." 

(James 1:12)

When we get to heaven, entering through Gates of Pearl, walking down streets of Gold, passing the effervescent River of Life, touching the leaves of the Trees that heal the Nations, shaking hands with Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David and Paul, brushing past innumerable feathered wings carressing our weatherworn cheeks, entering the Throne Room in its majestic Glorious splendor, and finally falling at the feet of Jesus Christ our Lord  ...  those glittery, bejeweled, costly, golden crowns won't mean much  ... we'll cast those crowns as an offering to the King on His throne, as we cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, the One who Was and Is and Is to Come, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One and only eternal God of all!

"By standing firm, you will gain life."  (Luke 21:19)  

"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure

and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil."

(Hebrews 6:19)

The "veil" was the curtain in the temple that divided the holy from the most holy place.  This was the place where God dwelt, and only the High Priest was allowed behind the veil and only on the Day of Atonement.  If the Priest had any measure of sin in his life, he fell dead immediately, such was the holiness of this place.  This place behind the veil was the Holy presence of almighty God.  When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, the "Veil" of the temple was rent from top to bottom  ... it was not torn asunder to let God out  ... but, to let you and me in!  We, all of us, every human in earth, now has access to, and can be filled with, that Holy presence behind the veil, the Holy Ghost and fire!  The Holy of Holies, the Spirit of Almighty God, can now live within us!  When we are filled with the Holy Ghost and speak with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance, we have gone behind the "veil!"  

The darkness of night is only as dark as we allow it to be, for in the darkness; there can be light, the light of God.  "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me."  (Micah 7:8)

Look up, weary child of God!  The sun's coming up, and you have every reason to smile, for the night is past and darkness shall be no more; weeping endured but a moment, and now    ...   "JOY Comes In The Morning!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)