There Will Be Weeping . . .

“When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there’s no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there’s joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out the memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar.” John 16:21-22 (MSG)

Jesus said in the world we will have pain and difficulties (John 16:33). Carrying a baby to term is a struggle at times. It’s tiring and draining. It takes patience and endurance. The wait for the babe is sometimes difficult but we know something wonderful and beautiful is on the way. As you progress, things get a little harder. Once labor starts, the pain intensifies. You know though that on the day when something great is about to be birthed, you have a support and a helper or encourager. That support helps with the transition of pain to greater pain that will eventually lead to something great.

In life, we will be faced with spiritual battles and struggles that are tiring and draining. They will take time but they are on the way to birthing something great. Just as you can’t birth a baby without pain, we can’t birth great things in our lives without pains. There will be times of weeping in your pain. The weariness, struggle and pain of a spiritual journey will also cause weeping BUT they will birth something new in your life. Even as we tense up, hold our breath and brace ourselves for another round of pain, the pain is not wasted. There is blessing in pain. God will bring forth something new and something great!

Don’t misinterpret your gradually intensifying pain to believing that you’re dying or there’s death nearby; it’s just birth pains. Sometimes it feels like we won’t make it through the pain because we are tired and drained and we see no progress but the great reward of enduring birthing is almost here!

If you’re feeling an ever increasing pain in an area of your spiritual life, persevere through; the day will come when something new will be birthed. When you cry out to Him in your increasing pain, there is a shift in a new direction for the babe to be born from your pain.

The best things come after pain – a brand new babe FULL of life. It’s the greatest joy that helps you to forget the pain and celebrate the joy of a new and great thing. Oh, the joy of a new babe! The pain shifts to joy. When our joy is delivered, we no longer remember the anguish, the struggle and the pain, for we have joy that a human being has been born. Trials and suffering are unavoidable and seem unending too but He will turn your birthing pains into great joy. Something new will be born in your life that ONLY God can create. As in Isaiah 61:3, He will give beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; and praise instead of heaviness! “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shout of joy.” “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” God is birthing a new beginning in you! He’s trading pain for new life.