Two-minute read.
God changes circumstances; He turns our mourning into dancing and our sackcloth into gladness. Around the holidays, everything intensifies. Whatever the difficulty, it gets magnified with the pressure that we all feel between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Starting on Black Friday, the race to buy the perfect present begins. Lists get made, invites get accepted, and the actual reason for the season gets forgotten in the hustle and bustle of creating the best December 25th possible.
For many people, holidays emphasize what they don’t have. The loss of loved ones God called home becomes more pronounced as people experience the first holiday without them. Financial pressures make it difficult to celebrate the Baby Jesus. A health diagnosis makes everything else trivial. On and on the list goes of things that cause us mourning. Finding joy during bleak times seems impossible, much less turning it into dancing.
With Jesus, we can experience joy, despite our circumstances. Aligning our hearts with His helps us gain an eternal perspective. Nothing in the world can separate us from the love of the Savior. Loved ones called home to heaven wait in God’s glory for our reunion. Brothers and sisters in Christ have the hope of eternity, understanding that the things of this world will pass away, but the things of God never will.
As impossible as it may seem, the Lord does turn our mourning into dancing. Clothing us with gladness from the Holy Spirit helps us focus on Jesus. The more we submit our lives to God, the more we will find His joy. Keeping all His promises, the Creator knows exactly what we need and when we need it.
Mourning comes with life, but so does dancing. If we don’t have one, we can’t appreciate the other. Gaze upon the Savior today, asking for His peace and joy. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to your pain, healing you from within your soul. With shouts of glee, our mourning becomes dancing as God clothes us with gladness.
Journal Questions:
How has God turned your mourning into dancing?
In what ways has God clothed you in gladness?
What can you do today to celebrate all God has done for you?
Joyful Application:
Turn on your favorite worship song and allow it to soothe your soul, bring joy to your heart, and get your feet dancing.
