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Joy in the Midst of the Storm

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

Our hearts and prayers are with the families impacted by the flooding in Texas.

There are moments in life when the night feels endless. Recent headlines cry out:

· Floods sweeping away the lives of innocent children.

· Budget cuts threatening the very systems meant to protect the vulnerable—FEMA, healthcare, food access.

· The weight of collective grief pressing down on already burdened shoulders.

It definitely feels like we are living in a night season.

But the psalmist reminds us: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Joy is not the absence of pain, but the presence of God. God is still present. God is not absent in the flood. God is in the rescue, in the helping hands, in the rebuilding, in the voices that cry out for justice, and in the quiet moments when hope begins to stir again.

Let’s Find Joy in Devastation:

· Anchor in God’s Presence

Acts 2:28 reminds us that God always shows us the path to life. Even when systems fail, and answers feel far away, God never withholds God’s presence. You may not feel joy yet—but you are not alone. Joy is birthed in the nearness of God.

· Recognize Joy as Resistance

To rejoice in God even in the struggle is a radical act of resistance. Joy says, “You didn’t break me.” Joy says, “I still believe.” Joy doesn’t ignore the pain—it survives in spite of it.

· Participate in the Morning

The “morning” the psalm speaks of doesn’t always come with the sunrise. Sometimes, morning comes when we take action—when we advocate, when we give, when we vote, when we care for a neighbor, when we pray through the pain. In doing so, we become part of the morning when we recognize that God is there working in us and through us to bring the breaking of day joy!

Reflect on this:

· Where am I experiencing a “night” season right now?

· What small flicker of morning—of joy—have I seen even in the midst of sorrow?

· How can I be a source of God’s joy to someone else today?

Pray:

God of the midnight cry and the morning light, remind us that you are the center of our joy. When the storms rage and the waters rise, plant our feet on the solid ground of your presence. Fill us with joy not because all is well, but because you are with us in it all. We choose to trust in your Word that the joy of morning is coming. Amen.

* Image credit: People walk down a flooded Houston street as they evacuate their homes Sunday after Hurricane Harvey hit. Joe Raedle, Getty Images