*This article first appeared on The Round Farmhouse Ministries Facebook page and Instagram accounts on April 14, 2023. This year I have become a regular contributing author to the ministry, and this was my April submission.
“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 NIV
Why does it seem that the weight of anxiety is heaviest in the evenings?
Just as the sun sets and the sky darkens, in seasons of struggle, our souls sometimes feel as heavy and dreary as the world around us. As I tried to get comfortable under my blankets and rest my head on my pillows, my mind kept cycling back to the challenge my child faced that morning. Hopefulness was replaced by sorrow as yet another obstacle surfaced. As I laid in bed, my thoughts bounced around in my mind.
Instead of continuing to allow my thoughts to spiral, I opened my Bible to Psalm 30:5 (NIV): “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Recognizing that when we are exhausted from a full day, our minds may not be in a place to think about the bigger picture of what the Lord is doing in our lives. When we allow our feelings to shape the way we encounter God moving in our life, we may fail to see the bigger picture of how He is working out all things for good and refining our character through the process.
As I continued to search for God’s truths to replace my worries, I repeated the words of Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV) to myself “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’”
Instead of allowing our thoughts and questions to spiral, what if we changed our perspective to focus on the ways that we can see God’s compassion toward us:
* Through the authenticity of other women a little farther down the road of a similar struggle: sharing their challenges, joys, and examples of how the Lord met them right in the middle of their challenging season.
* Through the ways we choose to switch our gaze from our challenges to focus on the Lord, our waymaker.
Instead of ending our days feeling hopeless, we can lean on the Lord to strengthen our faith. We can experience what Isaiah wrote about in Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” This verse can become an anthem for our souls.
Joy can arrive in our souls like the sunrise of a new day. As we begin a new day, let’s look expectantly for how He will restore our joy this morning.
Experiencing God's Glory through Unique Children 
I’ve taken so much comfort in each of the verses you have included in today’s post. The verses from Lamentations have been my go-to verses over the last couple years when walking through challenging seasons. I take so much comfort in the words “we are not consumed.” Because He is faithful, I can trust He won’t leave me where I’m at, that I won’t be overcome, and that He will work all things for His glory and my good!
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Thank you, Kelcey! I’m so thankful to have you walking with us in every season, especially the challenging ones.
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