You will Sing in the Morning (11)

I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up,

And hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2  O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3  O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave:

Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4  Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his,

And give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5  For †his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Suffering trouble, turmoil, danger and disappointment come as part of living. If you have not had disappointment just keep living. The case is multiplied for Christians. For, while unbelievers are beset by all the seemingly random tragedies of living —such as disease, disaster, pain and perturbations—we as believers also have an enemy, Satan, actively working to confront us with temptations, troubles and trials in order to disable our usefulness in the spread of God’s kingdom. Yet we have hope in Gods Word.

Trials, trouble and disappointment are inevitable. So if you are here this morning and have not experienced them yet it is only because you haven’t been around long enough.

However, while these trials, troubles and disappointments will invariably come to our lives, our defeat by them is not predestined. Indeed, not only can we survive the slings and arrows that life—and Satan—throw at us, we can triumph over them. And the secret of getting through hard times and coming out the other side triumphant involves the acquisition of a virtue called endurance. Endurance is patience under assault; it is stamina in the course of tribulation; it is intestinal fortitude in the face of opposition.

In the 12th chapter of the Book of Hebrews, the author of that epistle likens the Christian life to a race. But not just any race. He compares the Christian life to a marathon rather than a sprint. In a sprint, the most valued asset is raw speed. But in a marathon, the most valued attribute is endurance. Keeping on keeping on. So admonishes us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Knowing then that troubles, trials, dangers and disappointments will come our way, we are to acquire the virtue of endurance—not only to survive them, but to triumph over them.

David knew something about troubles and danger in his life. He saw great victories like his defeat over Goliath, being chosen as king of Israel, and triumphing over God’s enemies. But he also knew great tribulation and distress, such as his adultery with Bathsheba, the death of an infant son, and another son rising up in open rebellion against him. David experienced the high and lows of life in fellowship with God, yet died with the epitaph: “He was a man after God’s own heart.” How ever did he do it? Endurance.

And David gives us the recipe for acquiring endurance in the psalm he penned and is appointed for today: . The psalms were the worship and national songs of the people of Israel. As with many of the psalms, we know little of the circumstances surrounding the composition of . The superscription in our Bibles, found just beneath the numeric designation of the psalm, simply tells us that is a song at the dedication of the house of David. Whatever the personal situation that motivated David to pen this song, we can tell that it was written as a testimony to triumphing through turmoil. And in it, we learn the 3 key ingredients to acquiring the virtue of endurance.

The first element to acquiring an endurance that will see us through to victory over tribulation is remembrance.

In David remembers 2 important truths. The first is that God had successfully delivered him from troubles in the past and could therefore be counted on to do so again; and the second is that difficulties don’t last—they are temporary.

Notice that David remembers how God had successfully delivered him from turmoil in the past in the opening verses of . He says, “O Lord, you have lifted me up” (past tense), “You brought me up from the grave” (past tense), and “You restored my life as I was going down to the grave” (past tense). David kept in mind what you and I should keep in mind when difficulties come: God has delivered us before and He is the same God who can deliver us again. We can count on him. We can be assured that we won’t be facing trials alone. God is there for His people, and He is able. He did it before and He can do it again.

But notice what else David remembers about life’s tribulations: They are temporary.

“For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, his favor for a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night … David is saying Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.” See weeping may spend the night but it cant move in. Tell weeping the best i can do is let you spend the night but I have a more favorable guest arriving it joy! Yes joy (rin nah) (cry of jubilation )is coming and they are the preferred guest.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

When we are in the midst of difficult times it is easy to give in to hopelessness and to begin feeling as if our own trials will never end. “This cancer will never go away.” “My marital problems will never be resolved.” “I’ll never get out of debt.” This pain will never go away. Send it packing Peter said cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you!

No. The truth is that difficult times never last. They are transitory, temporary, only here for a season. To everything there is a season. If you in the mist of a storm its seasonal. Feeling low seasonal. Lonely seasonable. Mourning seasonal! Even in your current state be like David.

That leads us naturally to second component of endurance: Rejoicing. David’s endurance was composed of rejoicing.

“I will exalt you, O Lord,” he cries. “Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness,” David exhorts us. “Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever,” he proclaims.

Rejoice. Rejoicing involves praising God for who He is and giving thanks for what He has done. We extol, or elevate God because He is God and we are not. And we thank Him—publicly, proudly—for what He has done for us.

Endurance requires an attitude adjustment. To see our way through tough times and to triumph over them means we must abandon hopelessness and despair and assume the attitude of gratitude for what God has and will do, and the voice of praise for His power, goodness and mercy. Rejoice.

Endurance requires an attitude adjustment. To see our way through tough times and to triumph over them means we must abandon hopelessness and despair and assume the attitude of gratitude for what God has and will do, and the voice of praise for His power, goodness and mercy. Rejoice.

And the third and final feature of endurance is reliance. To rely on God in the midst of turmoil and disappointment means simply to trust Him for future results.

“You have turned my wailing into dancing; you have put off my sack-cloth {or, garments of mourning} and clothed me with joy.”

Normally, when we encounter rough seas we instinctively begin searching our own little “bag of tricks,” our negotiating skills, our money, our good looks, our ability to manipulate others, for ways to get out of the storm. We usually try everything in our own power and strength to get us through whatever difficulty we are experiencing. And all of our own efforts may work for awhile. But they can never take us to the place of real growth and change; only trust in the Lord can do that. David had endured tough times and God had seen him through.

Has the ever turned your sadness to gladness? And here’s the point: If you will just keep the faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. You have to believe God is going to turn it around! Faith is like a muscle that must be stretched, tried and employed before it can grow strong. We have to come to the end of ourselves, and know we are at the end of ourselves, before we can surrender and begin to rely on God for our ultimate good. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He wants for us greater than we can even ask or imagine. “Faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”

Endurance. That 1 virtue that will see you not just through tough times, but as a victor over them. It is that “keep on keeping on,” that continuing to put one foot in front of the other, though exhausted, bored and lonely, in the marathon race which is the Christian that will take you to the finish line, where the Lord himself will be waiting for you with the Crown of Life. Remember. Rejoice. Rely.