Dearly beloved in Christ,
I greet you in the name of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Today we are filled with various types of sorrows that overwhelm us into a life of bitterness and worries. As a result, we lose our balance. David says, “...and my sorrow is continually before me” (Psalm 38:17). That in a way reveals the state of man. There is one kind of sorrow that leads to repentance. But the other one is related to worldly desires leading to death. The Bible says, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10). The psalmist says in Psalm 88:9, “My eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You.” Sorrows destroy our spirit, soul and body and lead in the path of tears. There is hope in this situation as Jesus Christ has the power to turn our sorrows into joy.
REASONS FOR SORROWS
Let us examine the reasons for sorrows to torment us so much in our lives. Why does God permit that? Why this suffering? How long am I to undergo it? These are some of the questions that tantalize us. Some in such situations blame God. Some attribute it to someone known to them or close to them and continue to build up hatred and enmity toward them.
1. Worldly Concerns
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Sorrows born of things pertaining to the things of the world are well-known. Disappointment in the way of attaining their worldly goals like the failure to own the house they desire or buy a place of their choice makes them sore. Unfulfilled desires in the workplace like the expected promotion or exaltation in business. Repeated efforts end in failure. Not being able to have visa in spite of all efforts, travel abroad is obstructed. Such varied reasons make people get upset. Loss of money in speculation in share market trends makes people get into desperation. Dear Brother/ sister, do not give room for such worldly desires for they lead to destruction and take away your very life.
A young man came to Jesus with the question what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him to obey the commandments. He was enthusiastic to say that he had obeyed all the commandments from his early life, and wanted to know what else he should do. Then Jesus responded: “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22). He was a rich man and was so upset over what He said and went away sorrowful.
2. Oppression
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body!” (Psalm 31:9)
The troubles we face in life make us sore-hearted. Financial strain, housing problems, non-cooperation of the workforce, reproaches of the society, loneliness, emptiness and such things make man crumble. The problems oppress the heart of man and he is brought under untold sufferings. He is constantly bombarded with the question why he should live.
David, when he came back to his place, found it plundered, his wives and children and his possessions taken captive, and the place had been torched. In a situation when he was oppressed, his own people got ready to stone him. He wept bitterly as much as his strength permitted him.
Dear child of God, in the midst of all the troubles and tribulations in your life you may be in tears, in sorrows and in a broken-hearted state. The Lord knows you. He has borne your sorrows on the cross. Do not be dismayed; He will transform the sorrows of oppression in no time.
3. Loss of Dear Ones
“... and David mourned for his son every day” (2 Samuel 13:37)
Because of the death of someone near or dear to us, sorrows may overwhelm us. When we lose our spouse or children or parents, there would be naturally untold sufferings in life. All that they did, their words, and their appearance very often crop up in our mind’s eye. When we meet someone dear to them, the sorrows well up.
My own brother took ill and died at the age of 37. All that happened in his life from birth to death passed off as a story. His death shook me much. I used to count the days after his death and shed tears. The Spirit of the Lord knew my sorrows and comforted me. He revealed His love for me and reminded me of His death on the cross for my sake, for my sorrows and thereby comforted me. Dear Brother/ Sister, the Lord knows the sorrows of your heart over the death of someone near to you. He never does anything wrong. He will definitely change your sorrows.
4. Diseases
“Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, and my calamity laid with it on the scales!
For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea...” (Job 6:2,3)
Job was a devout follower of God; he was struck by Satan with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head (Job 2:7). Not only that, he lost all his wealth; all his children died. His sorrows were so much that they cannot be described in words. He was mourning and lamenting over his loss. Yes, various kinds of destructions and diseases bring about a grief that totally paralyses us. In the body of a brother, a terrible disease began to agonise him. That time, he said like this: “Not even his detestable enemies be harmed in this fashion.”
Jesus Christ, who said, “Your sorrows would be turned to joy”, has borne the sorrows on the cross of Calvary once for all. Let us not despair, but praise Him.
5. Not Heeding the Word of God
“And you mourn at last, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
And say: “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction!
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!” (Proverbs 5:11-13)
Having no desire to know the Word of God or to honour it leads to sufferings and tribulations in life and in the physique. When it explicitly harms the body and manifests itself, the affected person undergoes severe depression. In my own life when I was affected in my body, I was in sorrows. My eldest son was then driving the car. As it was night time, I was seated near him and was talking to him so that he might not feel sleepy. I was instructed by the Spirit of the Lord to occupy the back seat. But I made a prayer to the Lord giving reasons as to why I would like to be seated near him in the front seat. I pleaded for His mercy. It was a prayer against the counsel of the Lord. Again, the Spirit of the Lord counselled me. But I acted according to my own desire. What happened next? We met with an accident and three of my ribs were broken. It was unbearable pain and sorrows. When we ignore or despise the words of ministers of God, we meet with destruction and as a consequence tears, and sorrows continue to haunt us.
WHEN WILL SORROW TURN TO JOY?
1. In the Presence of God
“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow.” (Jeremiah 31:13)
This transformation from sorrow to joy can happen only when we seek His presence truly and take efforts to come to Him. David says in Psalm 16:11, “... In Your presence is fullness of joy.” He would not forsake any type of sinner who goes to Him. When we go to His presence, He will turn our sorrows to joy. He who turned ordinary water into tasty wine in the wedding of Cana remains the same even today. He lives even today with the same power. He can transform a sinner into a righteous man. He works within us.
He can turn a desert into a lake, emptiness into fulness, Saul into Paul. He works amongst us. We read about Hannah in the first chapter of 1 Samuel. She was filled with sorrows, living in reproach and in tears. She poured out her heart in the presence of the Lord. Her sorrows were wiped away. Today do you have the time to go before the presence of God? You have time to watch TV shows, and listen to and watch You-Tube channels one after the other for hours-together. Would you submit to seek the presence of God? If you come before the presence of the Lord God and pour out your heart, you would have the joy of the Lord in full measure. All your needs would be met.
Once a family came with grief to me for prayer. A few years had passed after their marriage, but they had no child. When they sought the Lord, they were blessed with three children. As they sought the Lord, their needs were met and they had joy in their family.
Today you may be in some need. It might be of your family. Dear child of God, seek the presence of the Lord. You will not lack any good thing. This is what the Lord has assured you. He will supply all your needs and bless you. You would have joy.
2. Deliverance
“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” (Psalm 14:7)
Today man has subjected himself to captivity in so many things and is spending his days in sorrow without any deliverance. If the Son of God, Jesus Christ, sets you free, you would definitely be free. Jesus Christ can give you real deliverance, but man seeks deliverance elsewhere. In consequence, he suffers more and more agony.
Once a man sought remedy for his daughter to be delivered from an evil spirit and the terrible disease she had. To mitigate sufferings, he received an egg from a person and buried it in his house. The agony got multiplied.
The parents of a person affected by addiction to drugs was brought to me for prayer. They were sorely worried about his condition. They had resorted to several traditional methods and procedures for relief, but none of their efforts proved worthwhile. But Jesus Christ miraculously delivered him. A great change came over him. They were delighted. Jesus Christ alone can deliver you from all the cunning schemes of the devil. He lives. The Mighty God who delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians is still alive. The Canaanite woman had her daughter delivered when she approached Jesus Christ with faith and humility. The same Jesus is alive.
3. Through Prayer
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24)
Jesus Christ has given several pieces of advice for our sorrows to be turned to joy. One of those means is prayer. He has preached about prayers in depth. He has given us a model prayer also. “Ask and it shall be given.” Let us pray to the Father in the name of the Son Jesus Christ. When we do that, He turns our sorrows to joy.
Our Lord God hears our prayers. Manasseh, son of King Hezekiah, not only committed sins against the Lord but also misguided the people to commit sins. He did not heed to the words of the Lord when the Lord spoke to him. So, he was taken a prisoner by the soldiers of Asyrian King. They took him in silver chains and he was oppressed. In his oppression he pleaded to the Lord. The Bible says, he “prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.’ (2 Chr. 33:13).
He will restore our lost freedom and joy. “So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:11). Thus Jesus Christ hears our prayers and does away with all our sorrows and gives us joy.
4. Through the Word of God
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart...” (Jeremiah 15:16)
The Word of the Lord can work miracles in your lives also. “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:8). “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20). The words of the Lord are powerful. The Lord who created the world and all the things therein through His word continues to send His word daily. When we ignore them, we would meet with destruction and loss.
Once I was travelling by bus to a meeting place. I had to travel for three and a half hours. After the meeting also I should return. I had only a small bag. I placed the bag on the overhead shelf. I was praising the Lord in my heart. At a particular place, I was urged by the Holy Spirit to take the bag. I ignored the word of God and travelled. I slept well. When the bus came to the place where I should get down, I woke up all of a sudden. At the stop, I alighted without taking the bag. After that only I thought of the bag. The bus had left. I tried to tap at the bus with no avail. I lost my Bible along with the bag. I was very worried. Then the Lord told me that He would give another Bible. In the ministry that followed, a Brother gave me a new Bible. When the word of the Lord comes to us, we should obey. Then we will be saved from sorrows.
5. Through the Holy Spirit
“And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
Through the Holy Spirit, true joy and the love of God are poured into our hearts. If we are anointed with the Holy Spirit, there would be great joy in us. There will be no more sorrow or sighing. Paul says in Rom. 14:17, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Again in Rom. 5:5. It is written: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” This Holy Spirit transforms our life in the wilderness into one of prosperity. The Holy Spirit also teaches us what we should do. “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11).
Let us all be thus blessed!
In the service of Christ,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.
