“Joy Has Withered Away From the Sons of Men” (Joel 1:1-13)

Be ashamed, you farmers, Wail, you vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field has perished. The vine has dried up, And the fig tree has withered; The pomegranate tree, The palm tree also, And the apple tree––All the trees of the field are withered; Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men. (vs11-12)

We're to be ashamed, to howl, and to mourn, admitting that joy is missing and things aren't the way that we'd desire. The problem is NEVER admitting that we're wrong, as if there is no help; the problem is that we choose hypocrisy, or we're slow to realize that the pain is for a reason. God gives us pain, like the heat of the fire, to warn us to plunge no further, and to warn us to go in the other direction. Be wise. Take the misery, pain, losses, and failures in your life as reason to draw near to Christ, so that He may heal you. Scripture says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). If you repent, this pain has been the blessing that you needed.

I spoke to someone today and recounted how the Lord had blessed them by misery and suffering to learn lessons SO valuable that they have no pain to remember; what they suffered has been SO good to them, though hurtful at the time, because it has brought forth fruit so wonderful that the memory of pain is removed. Jesus teaches us that a woman travailing in birth FORGETS all the pain as she hugs her man-child. He says, “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remember the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:19-22). Bless the Lord! This will happen to you, and I speak as one who's gone through the downs and come out the other side to see the Lord is gracious. He will heal, pardon, and give renewing grace. He will change the pain into peace.

Do not despair; it may appear to be dark now, but the Sun will rise in the mourning and joy will return. Ps 30:4-5 says, “Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Don't be ashamed as if hope is gone and failure defines you. You have a brighter day coming, and the dark clouds bring the rain, whereby the ground is fruitful. God is not a God to wound and then refuse to heal: He doesn't point out sin in order to mock us, if we HEAR the voice of repentance. Come back to Christ and call upon Him AS YOU ARE and without fear. Live life optimistically, even while you wait on His healing: it is sure, and He will not let you down nor prove Himself unfaithful. I've seen God faithful: He will not let us RULE the day, but He will give grace and joy where misery has taken root.