Read Psalm 113—115.
“He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 113:9, KJV).
Throughout the Scriptures, to be barren was considered a curse and shame. But because God is the source of life, He can make a difference even for the barren and turn their sorrow into rejoicing. There are some great examples of this in the Bible, such as Sarah, whom God waited until she was 90 to give her a child. When she questioned whether it was possible, the messenger of the Lord said nothing was too hard for the Lord (Genesis 18:14). I also think of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, in Luke 1. She, too, was barren, past the age of child bearing, but God filled her with joy. The point of the psalmist is, just as God can make the barren rejoice, He can do the same for each of us. He is big enough to handle our disappointments and turn our sorrows into joy. The circumstances we are incapable of changing, He is. Nothing is too hard for the Lord!
Lord, there have been many occasions when You have turned my sorrow into joy. What has often seemed impossible for me, You have made possible. So as the psalmist stated, I, too, affirm and say, “Praise ye the Lord!”
A question to ponder: Can you think of a discouraging circumstance in your life that seemed impossible to overcome, but God turned your sorrow into joy?
