This is one of the first devotions and pictures posted on this blog ... It just seemed like we all might need a little spot of summer and the encouragement that God is with us always ...
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" Psalm 42:5, KJ21).
What
do tears have to do with joy? During moments of intense stirrings in our heart
we may feel joy intermingled with tears as we become overwhelmed with
elation. Holding a newborn child,
hearing expressions of love from another that overflow with feeling and even
seeing something with our eyes can become overpowering to our senses ... any of
these and many others can bring forth both tears and joy at the same moment.
At other times, tears flow from
our deepest anguish when words falter and fail. They can seem to come from an
endless source of heartbreak as they bathe our face as grief and sorrow pour
forth. These tears ache with questions and brokenness in endless waiting and
joy cannot be seen or much less found. At times our tears come as think of our
gracious and loving God and remember His grace as we travel through difficulty
or repentance.
Jesus walks with us throughout all of our days upon the earth. He
celebrates with us in those joyous times and weeps with us in our deepest
anguishes. We also know that we will join Him in eternity and for certain, a
day is coming when "death is
swallowed up forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all
faces" (Isaiah 25:8). What is
too deep for us to really comprehend when our tears are wiped away and our joy
is fulfilled in the presence of our Lord forever.
And it
will be said in that day:
“Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and
He will save us.
This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be
glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9
"Let us learn to think of tears
as liquid prayers; and of weeping as a constant dropping of importunate
intercession which will wear its way right surely into the very heart of mercy,
despite the stony difficulties which obstruct the way." Charles H.
Spurgeon (1834-1892)
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