For every night, a morning of joy!

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm‬ ‭30:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬)!”

What a perfect verse for the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday!  The weeping that began with the arrest of Christ— the gut wrenching wails from the fearful and panic stricken disciples, weeping over their shattered dreams, and the dread of being persecuted next—  was erased by joy in the morning!

The weeping, agonizing wailing and grief of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the heartbreaking sobs of a mother grief and heartache of a son being tormented, tortured, hung to die like a common criminal and then laid lifeless in a tomb— was replaced by joy in the morning!

The grief stricken weeping and crying of all the other women who had followed Him, received their lives back from demons, children back from the dead, value and purpose and health back from their time walking in His love and presence and compassion— was erased by joy in the morning.

Maybe, most likely, even the weeping of those whose hope of Hosanna had been sucked up into the vacuum of mob mentality crying “Crucify,” followed by a sundry of sordid and inconceivable events, including betrayal, arrest, denial, unjust conviction, flogging, crucifixion, and death, all their weeping—  was reversed in the morning!

Weeping may endure for a night, a watch, a season, a dark moment of hope waning, but joy comes in the morning— once we realize that the tomb was found empty!  Once we remember the tomb is still empty!  Once we let the hope of Promise and the power of Presence grip our hands and hearts. As one pastor noted, “weeping has an expiration date!”

May the dawning of every new day bring you the joy of the light of Christ, and the unspeakable, unshakable, death defeating, fear destroying joy of the resurrection— the victorious appearance of Promise and Presence.  May the joy born in the manger, the very same joy born on Easter morning—  the joy of the LORD— be ours today, and His favor be with us for our lifetime!

Love you—Cassius