The Night Season
4. Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His Holiness.
5. For His anger endures but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
6. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
7. Lord, by Your Favor, You have made my mountain to stand strong: You did hide Your Face and I was troubled.
8. I cried to You, O’ Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.
Psalm 30:4-8
Why Must we go through Night Seasons?
It is very difficult to understand why there is so much human suffering. The short answer of the sinfulness of mankind provides some explanation but very little comfort when dealing with the brokenness, the anxiety, and the fear that sufferers must endure. Agonizing souls look for hope in those dark seasons. Yet, there is good news! All suffering will eventually come to an end. Distress is never permanent for those who have confidence in the Power of God.
In ancient times, communities built forts with walls to prevent intruders from attacking them. The Bible called these “fortified towns” and they provided some sense of security. As history reveals, invading armies would attack these “forts” and destroy those cities despite their protective walls. Some communities would even place “watchmen” on the towers to warn of impending danger, but while there was advanced warning, very few towns escaped every peril of tragedy. The night seasons would come and neither the reinforced walls nor the watchmen on the walls could ward off the attackers. It is that same way in our lives. We may receive first alerts of threats. We may be able to hold off certain attacks for a little while, but sooner or later the trouble comes and we suffer. Those are the night seasons of our lives.
So, the huge question is why does God allow such traumatic events to take place if He is all powerful? Honestly, if I had the answer to that question, I would be the wisest man on earth. The truth is, we may guess, but none of us know for certain why God allows these night seasons of suffering. But there are some things that we do know and some things to remember that will keep us sane during those times. While we accept the fact that we will endure seasons of heartache and peril, there is something that we can do about it to not only make those times more tolerable but to also learn to appreciate what God is doing in our lives. Enduring the trials is really the key to finding the good side of suffering.
In this Psalm that was written by the Bible hero David, there are three things that he committed himself to in those night season. First was to sing. There must always be a song in your heart. Second, is to give thanks as you remember God’s holiness and goodness. God is Holy. That simply means that there is no one like Him and He is not accountable to anyone including us. We can’t simply demand that God prevent the night seasons from happening. We can, however, recognize that He is God and respect Him no matter what the circumstances dictate. Lastly, we can pray and make our petition to God during those moments of heartache. By the way, complaining and murmuring does not count as a prayer. Granted, none of these Bible applications will prevent the night seasons, but they will certainly encourage your soul as you wait for the morning of Joy. Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning.
How Does My Theology Address Suffering?
There are some theological challenges that must be addressed if we are to better understand our times of suffering. Again, our goal is not to understand why but how to get through the night seasons. The first theological challenge is whether God intends to heal everyone instantly. Let me rephrase that a better way. Did Jesus heal EVERYONE when He came to earth? During His three year ministry, was it His intention to heal every sick person in Israel? The surprising answer is “No.” The Bible states what His intended purpose was and still is. Matthew 1:21, You shall call His Name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sin. If Jesus’ intention was simply to heal everyone from physical, mental, and social distress, they would have still remained in their sin and separated from God spiritually. Of course Jesus could have healed every person if He wanted to. Yes, Jesus did heal masses of people during His earthly ministry to identify Himself as the promised Messiah, but Jesus did not heal everyone. Are we okay with that? Please also understand that physical healing and deliverance from pain is not the most significant human need.
The second theological question is likewise challenging. Is suffering a part of the Believer’s growth plan. Let me phrase that another way also. Is suffering a part of God’s Plan for the Believer’s life? The answer is yes for two reasons. First, Jesus Himself learned through His passion. Hebrews 5:8-9, although He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things He suffered … and being made perfect, He became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey Him. Jesus, Himself suffered to secure our Salvation. The Prophet Isaiah bears witness to that. Second, not only did Jesus suffer, but He also invites us to suffer with Him. Jesus said, if anyone is to come after Me, he must first deny himself, take up the cross, and follow Me. That way of struggle was not intended to keep us beat down, but to teach us to trust God rather than ourselves, to worship God no matter what the circumstances, and to believe that God’s Promises will never fail regardless of the amount of pain. The third thing regarding suffering and God’s Plan for the Believer’s life is that no amount of anguish can separate us from God’s Everlasting Love. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul listed a number of factors and forces that threaten the Child of God but concluded that none of them could separate us from the Love of Christ. For those reasons, we are allowed to go through those night seasons and we learn to trust God every step of the way.
The third theological question is a bit tricky. How is God glorified through human suffering? There are two verses that address this issue. First, 2 Timothy 2:12 states that if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him. Suffering for Christ leads to future glory with Christ. Second, the Power of Christ’s Grace is manifested in human suffering. 2 Corinthians 12:9, My Grace is sufficient for thee: for My Strength is made perfect in weakness. In other words, God’s Power shows up in the night season.
Either way, God will bless and keep us even in the night season. I don’t have to worry about making sense of the struggle. There is no need to search through the rubble and wreckage of human weakness trying to find answers. I simply need to find God.
While I wait in the night season, Joy is on the way.
No matter what, all suffering is temporary for the Child of God. How do I know that? The verse says so. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. No matter how painful the night season is, the Joy of the Lord is on the way. Here is even better news. While I am waiting on God’s Joy, I still have God’s Presence in the night. That is the exact point that the psalmist is revealing. We don’t have to muddle our way through the night season. It is possible to rejoice in the Lord while going through the darkest valley. Yes, you can sing at midnight if you know the Lord.
The Psalmist urged us to sing to the Lord. Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His Holiness. There are a lot of things that the enemy of our soul can steal, but he cannot steal the song in your heart. The New Testament tells us that Paul in Silas were in a dungeon in a place called Philippi. Rather than spend the night season mulling over their dilemma, they decided to sing. As they sang, the other prisoners heard them. (see Acts 16). The interesting point is that they did not demand that God immediately deliver them. They sang because they loved the Lord. Their song was a testimony that we can suffer and still have God’s song in our heart.
The second thing the Psalmist admonishes is to give thanks and remember The Goodness of God. Give thanks at the remembrance of His Holiness. By recalling God’s Holiness, we are reminded that God is always Holy and Righteous. Even though He allows suffering, God does not cause the suffering. When we think about it, most of our struggles come from three sources: other people, the devil, or ourselves. When you don’t remind yourself that God is Holy, you will be tempted to blame God for the night season. Don’t do that! You will need the Lord in your wilderness and your storm. Give thanks instead and watch how the Lord comforts you in the night season.
Lastly, you and I must learn to pray our way out. I cried to You, O’ Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication. Prayer is not only the key to God’s Kingdom, it is also your passage through the night season. The Old Testament Prophet Daniel faced many night seasons. He was taken captive from his home in Jerusalem and forced to learn another culture. Yet Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or culture. How did Daniel survive that night season? Daniel made a habit of praying to the Lord. God heard his prayers and not only gave him favor with all those he dealt with; God delivered Daniel from the lions’ den. If you and I are to discover the Power of God in the night season, prayer must be at the center of all we do.
The Psalmist gives his own testimony of how he cried to the Lord; and unto the Lord (he) made supplication. So we do have some options in our night seasons. We can sulk in the pain. We can attempt to ignore those dreadful times. Or, we can make supplications to the Lord. We can sing of God’s Mercy and Favor. We can remember the Holiness of God. That should take us through that night season.
As you await the morning, you will have the confidence that Joy will show up. I am so thankful that Scripture is written in such a way that it points to a future hope. Joy is coming in the morning. Joy will bring an end to all struggle and pain. Joy will replace every tear and heartache. The good news is that Joy also walks with us. Our Joy has a name and that Name is Jesus. May God bless you as you endure your night season and await God’s Joy.