Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead sorrow.
Jeremiah 31:13 (NIV)
Read: Jeremiah 31:1-40
Consider: Today’s passage from Jeremiah 31 can speak to all of us, particularly when we are in the middle of a distressing event (whether health, financial or personal). We often feel so distressed that we are sure we will always feel this way. Jeremiah’s words to the people in Judah give us hope in such situations: Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and the old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead sorrow (Jeremiah 31:13).
We can know that not only are these feelings of anxiety and sadness transient, but that they will fade with time (notice ‘fade’ and not ‘disappear altogether’), and that God can and will turn us around. The verse above from Jeremiah says – ‘I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow’.
You have probably heard it said that ‘there is light at the end of the tunnel’, but it is more accurate to say that ‘there is light in the tunnel’. We are not alone when we go through difficult times, as God is with us every step of the way.
Can God use the situation you are going through? Absolutely! The Apostle Paul in his second letter to the believers in Corinth says this: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
So don’t regret how you feel. Being human involves sadness at loss (of whatever kind). Remember that God cares and will get you through. Also keep in mind that going through this can help you empathise with those who may go through similar times in their lives.
Pray: Father, keep us mindful of your presence with us when we go through difficult times. We recognise that we are not alone and that what might seem impossible for us to bear, can be borne because you are there to comfort us. Use us in whatever way you choose to comfort others. Amen
Every blessing
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