4 “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”
“A time to weep…a time to mourn” One problem with the world system is that their core values cause this process to be 180 degrees out of alignment from Gods, let me explain. The world weeps and mourns when their circumstances or worldly possessions are taken from them; they do not, however, weep and mourn over a sinful character. From God’s perspective He wants us to take no thought for temporal needs but rather to pay a great deal of time focusing on our character. Man’s inconsistency with God is completely across the board; if one were to compile a list starting with the things God cares about the most at the top and descending to the things He cares very little about at the bottom then compared it to the same list for man and we would find practically nothing agrees. This truth about the difference in mans values vs. Gods is actually very scriptural, for instance we have Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” and Isaiah 65:2. “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;” Before one is born again they belong to the prince of this world and like him they fall into Matt 16:23 "Thou savourest not the things of God..."“A time to laugh… a time to dance…” One of the joyous aspects to walking with the Lord and being in the kingdom of God is that ability to laugh and to rejoice; not just when things are going right but even when things go wrong. Paul and Silas are arrested, they are brought into the jail as criminals, they are taken to solitary confinement and it is the middle of the night. Instead of being crestfallen they begin to sing and they begin to, with a full heart, rejoice at midnight! As far as circumstances go they have nothing to rejoice about, they have lost their liberty, their reputation and it is the darkest time of the night. However, there is joy in their hearts! This joy is powerful even as we read in Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” They have a moment of total victory through joy in the midst of what many would call utter defeat. Job also, he experienced a measure of this when he lost everything and yet he bowed and worshiped. The time to laugh and dance in this world is when all is well with your circumstance; the time to laugh and dance for the believer is when all is well in your soul…
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