Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

“Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews-- young, old, women and little children -- on a single day” Esther 3:13

“In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.” Esther 4:3

The day was coming. The fateful day on which all the Jews under King Xerxes’ rule would be murdered. It was genocide and it had behind it only the fury of a selfish madman. A man who was angry because one person out of thousands would not bow to him: Haman. He tricked the king into creating an edict that would allow him to murder every single person of Jewish heritage because Mordecai would not bow to him. The Jews went into deep mourning - fasting, weeping, and wailing. A great cry went out among the Jewish people at their impending doom. There was nothing they could do. There was no hope. The king had demanded their death and they could not even defend themselves. It was indeed a dark time. It was a time to don sackcloth, tear hair, and smear ashes on their faces. Death was coming.

I am in mourning today. Grief overwhelms my soul and my heart bleeds for a dear friend who has lost a beloved brother. He took his own life. The darkness at work in the world has seeped into so many lives that everywhere we turn are stories of death, destruction, disagreement. I want to stay inside my house some days with my blinds shut and keep out the evil in the world. I want more than anything to shelter my children and hold onto their innocence which will disappear too soon. This man who has gone now from life has left a wake of sadness and deep grief behind him. Those who love him mourn. If we were living during the reign of King Xerxes we would certainly be tearing our hair, wailing in the streets, and wearing sackcloth and ashes.

When she heard the king’s edict, Esther immediately acted. She took her life in her own hands by approaching the throne of the king without first being summoned. But the king was pleased with her. She was able to plead with him and the result was an edict that allowed the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves. They even had the right to kill the armed force that might attack them and then to plunder their enemies. Haman and his sons, among thousands of others, were killed and the Jews triumphed.

“Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

In Psalm 30 David writes:

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks forever.”

There is a time for mourning and a time for grief, but take heart! Oh you who grieve. As surely as we are surrounded by evil and death, GOD HAS OVERCOME! JESUS HAS RISEN! One day we will rejoice with those who have gone before use. We will sing praises to the Lord and he will not only dry our tears, but also turn our cries into joyous dances. We are in a season of mourning and grief, but God promises to give us joy. One day we will see our loved one again. One day our mourning will turn to gladness when we behold our lost ones in the presence of the One who brought us all home to Him. Our ashes will be wiped clean, our sackcloth replaced with garments of joy, and our hearts be made glad. Joy is on its way.