Joseph Parker, an old British Preacher once said: “Preach to hurting men, and you will never lack for a congregation.” I believe he is right. In every service, there sits before the Preacher someone who is enduring an especially “hard” time of life, a “valley,” so to speak.
This morning, with our “Encouragement” Series still in force … I found Isaiah 60:20. And it sparkled like a jewel! It succinctly says: “The days of thy mourning shall be ended.”
Wow!
The full verse, no doubt Millennial in scope, says, really promises: “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.”
Yes, this is specifically voiced to Israel, a (some day) converted to Jesus people!
But there is nothing wrong with me (or you) enjoying it!
It still shows the Heart of God, His Love!
And that He CAN turn my tears into something else. Or dry them up, eternally!
“Mourning,” spelled “ebel” in Hebrew, means “to lament, to be sad, to feel sorrow.”
And “shall be ended” represents “shalam,” a word that essentially means “brought to peace!” (Look: it is clearly related to “Shalom!”)
Oh yes, I know: “The Lord GOD can wipe away tears from off all faces.” Isaiah 25:8
This too: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4
But today’s Text verse, short but so very sweet, says (to me) even more!
“The days of thy mourning shall be ended.”
This indeed might can be fulfilled when God wipes away those hurts, those tears.
Or there is another way it can come to pass.
That God might “lift” the burden that is so hurting you!
He might bring you to the place that you can “live with” the problem … and go on with your life!
What I am saying, without trying to be harsh: God can so dissolve that thing (that’s brought you so many tears) that YOU NO LONGER REALLY CARE about it!
That’s a secondary way He is able to “end thy mourning!”
Not to care?
By giving you something better!
By God’s trading that tear-maker for a joy-bringer!
Wow!
Sound too good to be true?
Then “try on” Isaiah 61:3, God’s doing: “To give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
Wow!
And good old Psalm 30:5 needs to be heard again as well. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
“Joy in the morning,” after a while.
And also … “Joy for mourning!”
Then … “Praise for heaviness!”
Yes, you’ll just not care anymore about hose old (hurtful) things … their having been substituted with much, much better things!
Yes, GOD CAN!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
“Selah,” pause and think about this!
Hallelujah!