Joy in the Middle of It

“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” – Psalm 30:5

God has a heart full of joy, but that doesn’t mean your life will be full of ease. Sometimes people think that if they’re walking with God, everything should feel light, happy, and pain-free. But that’s not the reality of this world, and it’s not what God ever promised.

The truth is, joy and sorrow are not enemies. You can cry tears of heartbreak and still hold on to the joy of the Lord. You can feel the weight of grief, disappointment, or pain, and still believe that God is good and still working.

What makes God’s joy different from the world’s version is that it doesn’t depend on your circumstances. It’s not anchored in everything going right. God’s joy is rooted in who He is, not in how you feel.

Jesus knew sorrow. He knew loss. He knew what it meant to sweat drops of blood, to be betrayed, to cry at the tomb of a friend. Yet in all of it, He walked with purpose. He trusted the Father. He carried hope.

That same Jesus lives in you. So even when life is heavy, joy can still be present. Not fake smiles. Not pretending everything is fine. Real, soul-level joy that says, “This hurts, but God is still here. I don’t see the full picture, but I still believe He’s doing something good.”

Psalm 30:5 reminds us that the night doesn’t last forever. Joy is coming. It might not come in the way you expect, and it might not show up on your timeline, but God promises it will come.

If today feels more like a storm than a celebration, know that you are not disqualified from joy just because you're walking through sorrow. God's heart is full of joy, and He still invites you into it, even in the struggle.

You don’t have to choose between honest sorrow and holy joy. You can carry both. One reminds you of your humanity. The other points you to your hope.