What If Joy Doesn’t Come With the Morning?

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 NLT)

But God, what if it doesn’t?

What if the morning comes and I’m still curled up in the fetal position, overwhelmed with depression, anxiety, and confusion?

What if I’m angry… so angry… because it’s all just so unfair. It’s unfair, God.

I’ve done everything I know to do and these unrelenting waves are beating the life out of me! One after another after another.

I come up for air and just as I think maybe there’s a reprieve in this storm, I’m thrown under the water again, gasping for my next breath and struggling to reach the surface… again!

I’m tired, God. I’m so very tired.

My cup is empty. My hope drained.

Joy… did not come for me.

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“Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word.” (Romans 4:18 TPT)

Sometimes, friends, the only thing that we can cling to in this journey is the encouraging reminder that we serve a good and faithful Father. That His promises are true and His word is never without power. That He will see you through.

I’d like to take just a moment and share with you an excerpt from our upcoming book, A Time to Dance: Chasing Joy in Difficult Seasons…

“God is always present. In the chaos. In the storm. In the hard. In the unbearable. In those moments when we release the most soul-wrenching and primal screams of pain. He’s always at work in our lives. And friends, He’s so loving and so faithful. He could snap His fingers and give us exactly what we want, but in His infinite wisdom, He can often see what we truly need and there is so much blessing in trusting that…

Sometimes God plants seeds in our heart, promises and visions for our future, and His words bring us hope and encouragement, but He is still asking us to sit in His waiting room and trust in His timing…

Maybe you are praying over a broken marriage.

Maybe you are praying for peace and joy in your own heart.

Maybe you are praying for a divine opportunity to open up in your career.

Maybe you are praying over a child that is struggling or a difficult decision that you need to make.

Or perhaps you are praying for a family member that is facing a truly difficult season.

Whatever the situation, you are faithfully giving it over to Him. You are taking His seeds, His promises for your life and future, and you are planting them in your heart, watering them with prayer, and carefully tending to your thoughts and feelings so that you nourish them and they take root in your spirit.

And suddenly, my friends, you look down at your little saplings, your circumstances, your view, seemingly unchanged, and you’re left wondering…

How long, God? How long?

How long will you watch?

How long will you wait?

I’m tired. I’m weary. I’m hurting.

I need you to come through for me, today.”

Friends, I understand. And this is what He has been gently and patiently teaching me…

“Trusting Him, stepping out towards Him, and fully committing, also means trusting in His all-knowing and perfect timing for my life.

Trusting that whatever He is weaving together in the details, in the quiet, in the wait, is better than anything that I could have dreamed for myself; that the work He is doing in the unseen will produce a more beautiful fruit and future than I could ever imagine.

Trusting that the space that He has made for my growth in the process is watering the roots that stabilize me and draw my heart closer to His.

He is the God who provides, the God who shows up, the God who stays, the God who heals, and the God who sees me and friends, He sees you.

He sees our hearts. He sees our fears and our dreams. And His love for us is beyond our comprehension; beyond anything that we can wrap our heads around; beyond anything we can imagine. And in truly allowing all of that to take root in our hearts, we begin to understand that He is a Father that we can trust with His plan over our lives and, my friends, we can trust in His timing, as well.

I know that painful seasons can leave you struggling to breathe as you wait to see His plan unfold; that it can feel like some seeds are producing no fruit, regardless of how you take care to pray over them and give praise for them. But I guarantee you this, my friends… If God has given you His promise, then He will make good on it. He will be faithful.

Don’t give up on your saplings. Keep seeking His heart. Draw close and be near to Him. Faithfully water what He has planted and be ready…

Be ready to feel Him.

Be ready for Him to fulfill every promise.

Be ready for the people that He will bring into your life to sit with you and help you through it.

Be ready for His goodness and His provisions.

Focus on Him. He is the God that delivers, my friends. It may not always be the answer that we seek, and we may not always understand the wait, but He is always good and faithful and we are always safe in His hands.”

Joy *will* come in the morning. That’s His promise. In the meantime, curl up in His lap and just let Him hold you through it. Blessings, my friends.

“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination.” (Ephesians 3:20 TPT)
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The excerpt above is from our upcoming book, A Time to Dance: Chasing Joy in Difficult Seasons. If you are interested in signing up to be notified when the book is released, please subscribe to our website.