Morning is Coming

    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

I love this promise from Scripture. It is a reminder that there is an end to what we may be going through, that the night will not last forever. It may last for weeks or months or years or even the entirety of our lives, but it will not last forever.

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
        and your healing shall spring up speedily;
    your righteousness shall go before you;
        the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Isaiah 58:8

The Lord has brought Psalm 30:5 to my attention over and over again lately. I just finished reading a book that’s two parts were divided into “Weeping may last for the night” and “Joy comes with the morning.” In the first part, the heroine journeyed with her God-given guides Sorrow and Suffering to the High Places. She learned much from them and learned to find joy in them as she experienced many hardships, difficulties, and temptations. In the second part, she finally reaches the High Places where she is given rest, a new name, and her companions are transformed into Joy and Peace. The Lord was taking her through difficulty in order to transform her into His image. That’s His pattern.

        But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
        which shines brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs 4:18

Mostly my meditations on the hope and promise of morning have been prompted by a song from Third Day’s new album Miracle called, “Morning Has Broken." It is a very poetical and imagery-inducing song that was written in the ‘70s (see below), and as I listened to the words I couldn’t help but think of this verse. When the morning does come after a long, hard, dark night (Job 7:4), your senses seem to be sharpened, your heart more joyful and thankful, and you seem to be more aware of the presence and goodness of Christ. Your heart seems to be more tuned to sing God's praise. At least this is what I get out of this song and this is what I have experienced. Furthermore, it reminds me of the daily renewed mercies of God:

    The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
        his mercies never come to an end;
    they are new every morning;
        great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22

Morning is coming. I don't know when, but it is. And while I get to experience temporary mornings in this lifetime, there will be a day when the morning will come and it will never, ever leave (Revelation 22:5).    

Morning Has Broken
 
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing, fresh from the world

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness, of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness, where His feet pass

Morning has broken, like the first dawn
Sing Hallelujah; A new day is born

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation, of the new day

Morning has broken, like the first dawn
Sing Hallelujah; A new day is born

Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
        his going out is sure as the dawn;
    he will come to us as the showers,
        as the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:3