An Opposite Reaction

I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a refuge in the day of my distress. _{Psalm 59:16}

It may be possible to face this world and get through this life on your own strength alone, but do you really want to? Each one of us will face varying degrees of hardship, distress, struggle, uncertainty and pain. They inevitably travel alongside the joy, love, successes, achievements, beauty and delights of everyday life. They are intertwined, and each one has an equal effect on its opposite part. Sound confusing? Let me explain –

When you care little for something, it causes little upset when it’s gone, but, when you are greatly invested in something, it will cause greater distress when it’s gone. The deeper you love, the deeper you hurt. In his book, A Grief Observed, C S Lewis noted this truth following the death of his wife, “The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before. That’s the deal.” The profound happiness, love and joy that he had experienced with his wife, now equated to the amount of grief, pain and sorrow that he now felt.

This transcends to a different level for the Christian. We can only appreciate the magnitude of God’s mercy when we understand the depth of our sin. The power of His comfort and peace is realise through the cavern of our grief and turmoil. God gives us the courage to stand when everything around us falls, and it is only at our lowest and weakest point that we truly appreciate the extent of His strength.

I will sing because ‘weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.’ The Lord Jesus Christ is the joy of the morning, he is the sunrise that comes from on high, bringing his glorious light into every dark crevasse of life.