Joy in the Mourning

Easter is a complex holiday to me. On one end of the spectrum, there is Good Friday and on the other end, there is Resurrection Sunday. The events leading up to the resurrection of Jesus Christ are anything but joyful. I can only imagine what it would have been like for those who loved Jesus to see Him go through everything He did on the cross. Can you?

What if God can use the events of Good Friday to show us that even in grief and difficulty, there is hope and there is joy? What do you think? Can you have both grief and joy at the same time? I believe the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Even though there is sadness on Good Friday, there is also hope and that hope leads to joy.

Jesus’ death on the cross wasn’t the end—it was the fulfilment of what He came to do, and the beginning of bringing others back into a right relationship with God. It was because of His great love that He chose to die on the cross so that we could be made right with our heavenly Father. He suffered and died so we could walk in communion, in close relationship with God daily. 

For those who believed what Jesus said, that though He would die on the cross, He would rise again on the third day, hope played a big part in strengthening them to endure the sadness and grief that followed Jesus’ death. As the day of resurrection was approaching, I can imagine the joy bubbling up within them over what was about to happen. 

We can have this very same hope and even joy amid our darkest moments in life. No matter what you have walked through, no matter who you are, God remains the same and He keeps His promises. He is entirely faithful and always good. He does not abandon us. He is with us always. Psalm 23 tells us that even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is close beside us and we don’t have to be afraid. His rod and His staff comfort us and protect us. When we trust in the Lord and know that He is who He says He is, this hope and joy is possible.

Since the unexpected death of my husband, this truth has become more real to me. In the moments I have felt the most alone and have wrestled with my grief, I have found hope and peace. When I take my grief to the Lord and seek Him, I am comforted. The Living Water within me begins to bubble up into hope and joy knowing that God will, without a doubt, keep His promises and He will take care of me because He loves me. Only He can satisfy the deepest longings of my heart. While I grieve the loss of my husband, I have hope that I will see him again in the future, and that brings me joy. 

The same is true for you. Whatever you are walking through, know that you are not alone. Whatever the ailment, He is the balm for your weary soul. Whatever season you are walking through, He is right beside you, and because of that truth, there is light in the darkness. There is hope in despair. There is peace in turmoil and there is joy in the mourning. 

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:21-24 NLT)

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.