...but joy comes in the morning

I'm really enjoying the read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year plan that myself & a GF are following. We're using the printable 12 month reading plans found here. Last week it was Psalms 30 & wow, thats a gooder!! & it reminded me that I had also wanted to share about Psalms 18. Well, today I got some news that was extremely upsetting & made me think of Ps 30 so I'll share that now & save Ps 18 for another day.

I will exalt you, LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
² LORD my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
³ You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
⁴ Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
⁷ LORD, when you favored me,
you made my royal mountain^[c] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
⁸ To you, LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me;
LORD, be my help.”
¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
LORD my God, I will praise you forever    (text taken from the NIV & online here)

The study note for this chapter in my Bible says "One-night Guest: The Bible never ignores the emotions of the moment. Here, the psalmist acknowledges the tough times that come with living as God's child. But the Bible also insists on a long-range perspective. Difficulties don't last; God's care does. This psalm pictures "weeping" as a guest who comes to stay just for a single night.

My AMP Bible gives II Corinthians 4:17-18 as a cross reference for vs 5. It says:

¹⁷For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!],
¹⁸Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.    (text taken from the AMP & found online here)

The study notes for II Cor 4:17-18 in my AMP Bible say "This too shall pass: ...As you consider how many times you have already made it to the other side of pain, you can be confident you will make it again through Christ, Who strengthens you (Phil 4:13). And on the other side of trails, you will see how God turned those experiences into good for your life (Rom 8:28). Paul says here that the seasons of trials pass. It is tough when we are going through trials, but Paul learned to keep his eyes on the prize of heaven & trusted God to prepare him so that God's glory was revealed through his life. When you are tempted to become discontented, remember: "This too shall pass." Your afflictions are "light & momentary" from the perspective of eternity. No matter how bad your current situation may look, never let go of the truth that God loves you..."

The news that had me so upset today was that my DH's cousin's 10yr old son has been given just 2-3 weeks to live. He had been diagnosed with muscle cancer & had been going thru treatments & procedures for the past 7ish months. His grandparents are Christian missionaries & they think he might have accepted Christ, but as far as we know his family (parents & a 8yr old brother) are not believers. Reading the email I couldn't stop bawling. Other than grandparents (who had obviously lived a full life), I've never had anyone very close to me die & I simply cannot fathom the pain that the family would be feeling right now. I cried for them & the pain that they are going thru but also out of guilt. Guilt that everyday I take my own children for granted. My current troubles are truly "light & momentary afflication" compared to theirs. The pending death of a child & a mountian of medical bills. Yet even their troubles are "light & momentary" from the perspective of eternity, and though it seems blasphemy to say that the death of a child is anything close to "light & momentarty", that is how big the eternal awesomeness of God really is.
Reading Palms 30 I identified with the victoriousness (that a word??) of the 1st few verses & really saw myself as the psalmist went from that to feeling God had turned away & being pitiful, lost, discouraged  & sorrowful. An emotional roller coaster. Up & down. Thru God's strength I'm victorious, but then something goes wrong, God turns away (actually its me taking my eyes off of Him) & I'm drowning in dispair & a messy house. Eventually, I realize what is happening & cry out to God & of course He answers. My evening of weeping is over & joy comes with the morning. After I heard the news of my cousin-in-law's son, I was reminded that my own sorrows truly are light & momentary.

pic from www.agodman.com