Songs of Summer : Joy Comes with the Morning (Psalm 30) | Matt Roden | Part 5 of 9

Do me a favor, let's welcome everybody who's joining in uh online, YouTube, podcasts, wherever you are.

Thanks for being here, man.

We're so glad that you're joining in.

We're in a summer series called Songs of Summer.

But before you get nervous and think I'm gonna sing, we're actually gonna talk about the most famous uh and inspirational collection of songs, of poems, writings, all these things that have ever been collected in the entire world.

And you might be thinking, what is that?

It's the Psalms of the Bible.

I want to encourage you, if you haven't, uh if you're still doing your summer reading, to add the book of Psalms.

It's kind of a it's it looks longer than it actually is, uh, but it there's a lot in there.

Add that to your summer reading list.

You'll be glad that you did.

Now, this today, this week's psalm is about hanging on through the ups and downs of life.

Okay.

We're hat, did you know that this is insane?

We're at the halfway point of this year.

Right?

I know, it's just I just want to say that later by go, whoo! Yeah, yeah, halfway point of this year.

And so already this year, we've had great moments.

We've had difficult moments.

So let's do this real quick.

Turn to the people or persons or whoever around you and tell them one great thing that has happened this year and up, or just something that's encouraged you.

Okay, go ahead.

Just tell the person next to you.

Okay, so just real quick, and you and you don't have to like get into the you don't have to divulge a lot of stuff, but I'm just gonna write a couple.

What were some ups that happened for some of you this year?

Just kind of real general, what was some ups?

Family.

Family coming in town?

Or visiting or something?

Yeah, okay, family, okay.

Family visit.

Is that big enough?

Can you see that?

I know some of you are like, I didn't even see a whiteboard, so yikes.

Anyway, go ahead.

Sports! Alright.

I assume some wins?

Right?

Okay, good.

All right, sports wins.

Oh, vacation.

That's a good one.

What else?

Say what?

What'd you say?

Oh, weddings.

Okay, I heard some weddings.

Okay, great.

This is a lot of fun.

All right, what's some other ones?

Successful garden?

Oh, wow, okay.

Successful garden.

All right.

Good.

Give me another one.

Oh, you got baptized.

That's awesome, Denise.

I love that.

Yep, I remember that very well.

Alright, what else?

Congratulations.

Yes.

We had a lot of them in our crew.

Let me get one more.

Health.

Health.

I'll put good health.

Alright, now.

So now let's talk about the downs.

And some of you go, not doing that to my neighbor.

So uh I'm not gonna share that stuff.

So let's just kind of talk about what kind of what were some maybe discouraging moments.

And you can say for you or a friend or maybe someone you know, but just kind of general, what were some downs that may have happened this year?

Family illness.

Okay.

I'm gonna put illness.

Okay, what else?

His boat exploded with is he okay?

Yeah, he's recovered.

Good grief! I can't believe I'm writing boat explosion.

Wow.

Gee, whiz.

That that that's my favorite one on there right now.

That's it's I never think what's another one.

Cancer.

What was that?

What was that one?

Okay, got it?

What else?

Loss of two more.

What else?

Earthquakes.

And one more.

Fire.

Okay.

All right.

Some of you like, that took a radical turn, right?

We went from graduation to earthquakes.

Anyway, so uh anyway, now some of you may be wondering, you're like, why okay, Matt, like obviously there's you you don't know how to do whiteboards because you should have written the ups on one side and then you should have written the downs on the other side.

Like that's how you do that, right?

And I didn't do that because this is what life is, right?

Well, really color that in, really get kind of Bob Rossi with here.

Happy little trees.

Yeah.

This is what life is.

Because this is how life feels, right?

It is a lot of ups and downs.

Some of you went through some of this stuff in a month.

Some of you went through weeks like this where it feels like things just kind of we get family visit, now isn't now sports wins, now boat explosion, now vacation, it's all this kind of stuff.

It just kind of keeps going.

And and and this is how life feels.

I mean, some of you, look, let's just be honest, we've had days where you went through several of these, like, and you were just exhausted and thought, like, why today, Lord?

Like, what happened, right?

Were things just too quiet?

Like, what happened?

You know?

And it's interesting to me.

Life is just highs, lows, lots of in-between.

And often for a lot of us, we're just trying to survive those ups and downs.

But the question for you, and this is really the question that this psalm is kind of talking about, is what if there was something that you could hold on to, no matter what's happening, that would give you a firm confidence in any circumstance and would give you peace in any situation?

Is something like that?

Well, I mean, is there something out there that can give you hope as you navigate life in any situation, whether it's a high or low, is that even possible?

And that's what today's psalm is about.

It was written by David, who uh wrote half of the 150 Psalms.

Some of them are really short, so when you hear that, that sounds like you know, the some of them are a lot of them are short.

But he wrote half of them.

Uh, you may know him as like King David of the Bible or David and Goliath, or house of David, or whatever, all this kind of stuff.

Like he, this is the David that people know, right?

And this psalm was about him navigating his own personal highs and lows.

And this is what he wrote.

We read this earlier, but I want to read this again.

Psalm 30.

He said, I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.

You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

O Lord, my God, I cried to you for help and you restored my health.

You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.

You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones, praise his holy name.

For his anger last only a moment, but his favor last a lifetime.

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

When I was prosperous, I said, Nothing can stop me now.

And your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.

Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

I cried out to you, O Lord.

I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave?

Can my dust praise you?

Can it tell of your faithfulness?

Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Help me, O Lord.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

So there's a lot to talk about here, but basically let's kind of summarize this.

In essence, what he says is, You rescued me and you restored my health.

I cried out to you, you brought me up from the grave, I was prosperous, then I was shattered.

I begged God for mercy, I begged God to hear me.

He turned my morning into dancing and gave me joy.

So you get this sense as you're reading this, there's a lot of highs and lows, a lot of mountains and valleys going on in his life.

Obviously, David hit a lot of troubled times.

There were times that he's begging God for help, begging God to show him mercy.

God, do you even hear me?

Are you even out there?

There were times where David was prosperous, things were going great, he's thriving, and then there were times where he was shattered, and it feels like every day he's just trying to survive.

Times of mourning, times of dancing.

I mean, ultimately, this is life.

Mourning and dancing, mountains and valleys, ups and downs.

But one particular verse in this chapter, maybe it rung a bell to you as I was reading it, has kind of stood out over time.

And I'll read that one again, Psalm 35.

And it says, For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime.

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

And it's important that we understand and recognize that the Bible understands that there are seasons and chapters of our life that are just seem like nothing but pain and problems and heartache.

That there are tears that keep us up at night, nights of restlessness, nights of anxiety.

But David reminds us in this moment that God's favor lasts for our lifetime.

That even though we experience consequences of our own decisions or devastation from things done to us or things that were out of our control, that that is the things that we go through, that weeping will last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Now, let me ask the question what in the world does that mean?

Right?

What does it mean, even that God's favor lasts a lifetime?

And the way I've kind of seen that is that it really means that God's loving kindness and undeserved blessings follow everything we face.

So no matter what you're facing right now, that there is kindness ahead, that there is some kind of joy ahead, that joy will come, as it says, with a new day, a new beginning, a new chapter, that no matter what we're going through today, we will see God's faithfulness tomorrow.

Now, when I say something like weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Let me be really clear that this is not saying that things work out like we hope.

This is not saying that God's faithfulness to you is freedom from intense pain, seasons of disillusionment and despair and disappointment.

That's not what it's saying because sometimes you pray and it doesn't work out.

Sometimes the relationship falls apart no matter what you did to try to save it.

Sometimes the business folds, the loved one passes away, even though you prayed that wouldn't happen.

The disaster comes out of nowhere and strikes, the disease doesn't go away.

Weeping through the night is very real.

I think we can all relate to times in your lives when sometimes it feels like the losses, the pain, the problems just won't stop.

And it makes you question God in some kind of way, right?

It kind of makes you wonder like, I mean, does God even care?

Does he even, is he even around?

Like, where is he?

It doesn't seem like he wants to help me.

So the question is when we read a Bible verse, like we think last through the night, joy comes with the morning.

For some people, they go, well, when is that when is that morning?

When is joy gonna come in the morning?

Because I'm going by morning by morning by morning, and it just like it just isn't getting better.

I'm not seeing any joy.

I'm not seeing that.

It really is difficult for us to see beyond what we're facing, isn't it?

I mean, sometimes what we're facing just consumes us.

It's almost like this is it.

This season seems like it's never gonna end.

This period of my life, this time of my life doesn't seem like it's ever gonna end.

I mean, this must be the end.

This must be it.

I can't see beyond.

I can't see this ever getting better.

But what's interesting about the scriptures is it tells us this thing that God sees beyond what we're facing, and that he is already creating good out of horrible.

And that sounds okay.

Like, okay, yeah, I guess, right?

But the idea is that you may feel hopeless now, but that there God has something ahead that will renew your hope, that joy really will come again.

Because God is not just in the present, but he is also working in the future for your good.

And that sounds like again, what you we've heard this verse that famously says this, right?

Romans 8 28 says, We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him, right?

And Scott brought this up a couple weeks ago, and I've done this too, man.

This is that verse you quoted people when you have no idea what to say.

You're at a funeral and it's horrible.

I mean, everyone is weeping, and you're just like, oh, God works it all out, right?

And it's this way, like we just say it.

And Scott was talking about that term spiritual bypassing, you know, when you use Bible language to kind of just either disregard emotion or kind of tell somebody to kind of suck it up in a way, or kind of we stuff it ourselves and kind of go, well, here's kind of this Bible thing, and I'm just gonna kind of use that, and we kind of bypass working through pain.

And that's sometimes what we do in a very nice Christian way, we end up disregarding someone's pain by just telling them, don't worry, it'll be okay.

Don't be sad.

It'll be okay.

You know, like it's just just stop being sad, but they can't stop being sad, right?

It is part of the pain, it's part of the process, it's part of the whole deal.

Like it's and we just want to tell people things will be okay.

But God working things out for our good is not supposed to be a reason to say, oh, don't be sad, just move on, just move on.

What that's supposed to be is God working things out for good is real hope in the midst of deep sorrow that you are not forgotten.

But you feel it right now.

I feel like God has forgotten.

Like He He must I mean, does He know that I'm still around?

Am I gonna die?

And He's like, oh yeah, right?

No, you're not forgotten.

God is with you, and this is the trick.

He is with you now, but He is also ahead of you, and that's something only God can really do.

Because He is with you right now, but He's also ahead of you.

And a lot of times in life, I've had this happen, you have no idea how to move forward.

Like I don't even know what to do.

And you don't have to.

Because God will help you move forward after He has strengthened you to walk again.

I'm gonna say that again.

God will help you move forward after He has strengthened you to walk again.

See, He's with us now in our pain to help us process what we've lost.

But God is already also ahead of you with a new beginning, a new future, a new start, a new day.

And He is telling you that I'm ahead of you, like, like there is hope ahead of you.

You know, we always joke about those movies and someone like comes, time travels, right?

And someone comes from the future and they're like, this is gonna happen, and they're like trying to warn everybody.

Literally, this is in the scripture, God's saying, I'm in the present and the future at the same time, and I'm telling you that there is hope ahead of you.

There is always hope in the future.

Joy really will come in the morning.

You cannot see it now, that's okay.

But it is there, and the Bible talks about this in all kinds of ways.

Some of them are weird.

Like, how many of you have ever heard of Bible prophecy?

Just kind of raise your hand.

You heard of that?

Right?

Bible prophecy, it's a lot of stuff, uh, but basically, you know, it's it's signs and symbols in the Bible that talk about two things the tension of the pain of now, and the hope of what is going to be in the future.

And so all these signs and symbols in the Bible about the future, and for some of them, they were for the readers then and they had not yet happened, but now we're further along in history, and we can look back and see how those things were predicting the rise and fall of Babylon, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, all these things that they were they were already talked about way before they happened.

But some of the signs and symbols are for things that still haven't happened yet.

The return of Christ, the final judgment, the end of time, things like that.

The list goes on.

But I'm gonna give you a Bible prophecy class in about four seconds, and you're gonna ace it.

Okay, because every single prophecy in the entire Bible can be summarized in seven words.

All of them, every single one, all point to these seven words.

There is always hope in the future.

That no matter what is going on in the world, right?

Have you ever played a game right now when you're turning on the news to see how like long you can stand it before you have to turn it off?

Remember when you could sit through a whole news show and your blood pressure didn't go up and you didn't throw up or anything like that?

And now it's kind of like, how long before I get sick?

Right?

No matter what's going on in the world around you, there's always hope in the future.

No matter what is going on in your life, no matter what you've lost, there's always hope in the future.

And some of you go, how?

How?

Because we only see what's happening now.

But God already sees what's happening next.

And that's what all that prophecy is about.

Is I already know what's ahead of you.

There's always hope ahead of you.

If God, seeing a full picture of our lives that we cannot see, is telling you that there is hope ahead, and he tells you on top of that, that my love for you will last your entire life, then you can trust that he is telling the truth.

Let me talk about this way.

Let's imagine you're the pilot of a plane and you're gonna land the plane.

Okay, hold on, let me just preface that by saying you're a trained pilot.

It's not like someone threw you in a cockpit and said, go, okay, because that's a different thing, right?

You're a trained pilot.

You gotta land a plane.

There, you know, you're approaching the runway, whatever.

Here's the thing about a pilot of a plane you cannot see the other planes around you.

You can't see their path, you don't know who's coming, who's going.

And that's why there's an air traffic controller in the tower who does.

They see the full picture of what you're coming into.

And so you have to trust that that air traffic controller sees the bigger picture when they give you instructions and they tell you what to do, because I'm pretty sure some of those instructions don't make sense.

Because the way it looks to you, that doesn't make any sense.

Like they say, you know, hey, go around and come back.

I'm I'm right here.

I can see the runway lights right here.

I don't need to go away and come back.

Why?

Because they see the path of incoming points, they see something you can't see, or they tell you, go ahead and descend.

And you're like, I'm Low enough.

I'm good.

But they see another path of an incoming plate.

They see something else going on that you don't see.

And so you may be kind of questioning it, kind of going, I don't know.

Here's the idea is the controller will guide you home because you can't see what's coming.

I'm gonna say that again.

The controller will guide you home.

You have to trust that because you can't actually see what's coming.

And in the same way, if your life's a plane, you may feel like, well, right now that plane is gonna crash, or that plane has nothing left in the tank.

And there are times like that, but God always gently guides us home.

He always brings us to where we need to be next, even though he knows that up there in the storm, there is fear, there is pain, there is the horror of what is now.

And he understands that, but he also sees what's coming.

He sees the full picture around you that you cannot see.

And only he can really give you the healing that you need.

You know they say time heals all wounds, and we have a phrase for that in the South that starts with bull, but I won't say it.

It does not heal any wounds.

You know that, right?

If anything, it just makes the wounds sit around a lot longer.

Because if you don't ever deal with the wounds, time's not really gonna do much of anything.

He gives you the healing that you need and the hope of what's ahead because there are so many times in life that you feel like I feel completely lost, discouraged, in despair.

But the only thing I can hold on to is that God's love for me lasts for my entire life.

And beyond, by the way.

And beyond.

Here's the trick: we have to let him guide us.

And you've got to trust that even though things are scary up there, he can guide you in to something better, to a new day.

Because he sees the full picture.

He is the weeping lasts through the night.

But when the joy comes in the morning, you will see that he has been with you and for you all along.

The hard part's getting there.

It's that painful in-between.

And it's interesting because you know we think about this as a church.

As a church, we really are here to help you when you are facing those dark nights.

A lot of people don't reach out for help.

And you may be shocked to find this out, but it is not healthy.

Right?

To deal with everything yourself.

You're like, no, that seems like the right way.

It's not, right?

To ask for prayer, to ask for encouragement, to just say, hey, could just someone come alongside me, right?

And as a church, we try to do that.

In your relationships, we need to do that.

We also want to be there for you as a church when you're trying to figure out what a new day looks like, right?

I'm in a new chapter, but not sure what to do here.

Can I get some guidance?

Can I get some help?

How do I tune in to God and know what He wants me to do, right?

But today, this is what I want you to know.

There's always hope in the future.

Joy will come in the morning.

I'm not saying that as a Hallmark card, I'm not saying that as some cliche blow-off statement.

I'm saying it because it really is true.

Because his love for you lasts through every single season of your life.

And you will see that in the end, that he has been with you and for you all along.

A love that is with you and a love that is already ahead of you.

Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for this psalm that reminds us that even though our weeping and our pain may last through the night, that your love is already ahead of us and joy will come in the morning.

That there are still new chapters and things ahead, sometimes in environments and things and through losses that we never thought we'd go through.

But there is always hope ahead of us that your love lasts for our entire lives.

God, would you help us to hold on to that today?

That even though we may be going through the night right now, you are with us right now.

And we can let it all out anytime, any place to you.

You are there with us in our pain to give us comfort, to point us to hope, to help us.

But Father, you are also ahead of us.

Working in times and places with people, things that we may not have even met or don't even know yet.

And you are already creating good out of horrible.

God, we thank you that your love for us is not just a one-time event, it's a constant saturation of our lives.

It's our comfort in our darkest moments of pain, and it's our hope that you are always lifting us up and guiding us home.

Help us to trust you.

It's in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.