Morning Joy Replaces Evening Weeping.

 Transcribed by AI

Radio Voice of Life, in the hardships of the world, I will call your name with my heart, mind, and soul. I will call your name with every breath I take. Jesus, you are this peace of my soul, you are this king whom I love dearly. You, who have life within me, I love you. I will praise your name. If I am tired or in distress, I will sing your name in the struggles of the world. I will sing your name with strength. I will sing your name with the spirit of truth. This year, you are my peace and my king, whom I love until my last breath. I love you, and so I thank you, Lord. I affirm that we see all human beings searching for happiness, and no one is exempt from this rule. This means people take different paths, pursue various jobs, whether they are doctors, engineers, or students. Whatever path we take, the aim is to find happiness and peace. The aim and desire of those who even go to war is that we become successful. The motivation for all humans is to attain happiness, even if we are in poverty or wealth, regardless of having or not having. In every situation, a person strives to reach their happiness. Yes, there are many who travel miles and miles to find a safe place to feel joy. If we reflect, we see how beautifully it is expressed in Psalm 30, verse 5, which says, "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Amen.

What experiences do you, dear friend, have in your life where your tears, sadness, or hopelessness turned into joy? Yes, this is indeed a very good question. Perhaps it's a familiar question for many. When I was young, meaning when I was far from the truth of God, there was always sighing and weeping in my life. This was not because I was physically unhappy; my happiness lasted a moment, an hour, or a day. However, that inner joy I sought was completely absent. Those joys had been taken from me. But I thank God, when I came to faith in Jesus Christ and read His word, I understood the truth. There is indeed a joy that fills me from within, a joy that has increased more and more from within. No one can take this joy from me. As it says in Psalm 30, "His anger lasts only a moment; the Lord is angry because of our sins and disobedience, but in His grace, there is life." Where does our life begin? Thank you, Lord. It does not matter when or in what year you come to faith. When you believe in Jesus Christ, life begins at that moment; life that lasts forever. How beautifully it says, "Joy comes in the morning and replaces the weeping of the night." When the sun rises, many people wake up early to work, worship, or pray, looking forward to seeing the day. This joy gives them hope, even a little joy in their work, in their jobs, shows to others.

However, on this journey, or during these days, we might face things that cause us to weep. Perhaps we encounter despair. Just as many in our homeland are in despair and in tears. Yes, even when, God forbid, a sorrow or calamity strikes, it can be so overwhelming that day and night feel indistinguishable. It weighs heavily on humanity. When tears come, here is the word of God that touches our hearts. God wants to turn our tears into joy. If we surrender and reflect on this word of God, you can even find comfort when reading His word. If you do not have a Bible, you can read and meditate to see how your tears transform into joy. Because the night may bring darkness, but how can you keep your joy until the night? You can do this by thinking about the word of God that has been spoken from God’s mouth, inspired by Him. Thank you, Lord. I want to share a story that might relate to the stories of many of our fellow countrymen. It is said that in a city long ago, there lived an old man named Hashim, who struggled for years with poverty and hardship. His only possession was a very poor mud house in a corner of the city. He had only one handcart with which he went to the market to work. This Hashim had no children because his wife had died young. Every night he would lie down with a piece of dry bread and a half-filled stomach. But he never complained or grumbled. One winter day, when the cold was severe, his wife was sick and he could not go to the market. There was nothing in the house to eat; he was starving and cold, feeling he might lose his life. He took refuge in a corner of his room, wrapped himself in his blanket, and tears of love flowed from his eyes due to his weakness and loneliness. While crying, he raised his head to the sky and said, "O God, you know our situation. Light of hope and your light, shine in our dark hearts," and he fell asleep.

The next day, early in the morning, a new page turned for Hashim. As it rained, he heard a knock at his door. When he opened it, he saw a young man standing there, soaked, who smiled and said, "Hello, is it possible for me to borrow your handcart? My vehicle is stuck in the mud behind your house." The old man kindly responded to him. The young man worked for half an hour to get his vehicle out of the mud. When he came back, he entered the room and saw a truly poor and cold house. The young man was a generous businessman passing through. He quickly went to his vehicle and brought something for the old man that he had in his truck. The old man thanked him and said, "I have a factory, and I need a guard." Tears filled the young man's eyes. Just hours earlier, on that night of despair, he had cried out to God, and his tears had turned into joy. This is indeed the answer from God, who turns tears into joy and hope. Truly, dear friend, when you read this story, I feel like I am in that place. This man did not come by mere coincidence; God had sent him. Why? Because that night, Hashim had cried out to God with love and lament.

Dear listeners, you might ask, what connection does crying have to joy? You may have seen that when a child cries, when something is given to them, their tears stop and turn into happiness and smiles. There was a time when I also thought that feeling happiness was a sin, even before my faith. But like my previous thoughts, there are those who may consider joy a kind of sin. Today, many of our countrymen, many of our people, even when they appear on social media, truly look pale, lacking joy and peace. If a smile is seen on their faces, it is clear that they carry many burdens in their hearts that have made them hopeless.

Dear listeners, I read another story in a book about Jonathan, a Frenchman who was one of the most famous mathematicians. He found no joy in anything; he was always calm, spoke little, and preferred solitude. One day, he was persuaded by friends to read the Bible. He initially ignored it and did not want to read it. But eventually, he read it carefully, and when he did, he realised that the joy God spoke of in His word was something he had truly been far from. But now that he had read it, he understood, and afterwards, his life, his thoughts, his manner, and actions changed completely. He discovered this truth and the treasure of joy in God, which is powerful.

So, dear listener, it is important that every broken-hearted person, whether you are a man or a woman, in any language, in any province, sitting alone in any corner of your home, if you have no hope, find hope in the true word of God. Read His programme, what you learn, share it with your children, with your neighbours, and your relatives. This joy that God desires is not worldly happiness. It is not about temporary external joy. We have sought so much external happiness, but the joy that is eternal is given to us by God. This joy is written in the word of God for thousands of years. In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 11, we also read, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." Amen. When you place your trust in Jesus Christ, God wants to fill you with joy and happiness. Amen. Just as you fill a bucket with water, it overflows.

In Romans, chapter 15, verse 13, it also says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Amen. God is the source of hope. God is the source of joy. God opens up all joy and peace in faith in Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit and makes you hopeful. The God of hope is the God in whom we have faith. It is through the Holy Spirit that He gives us hope. And what is this hope? This hope is the salvation from our sins and eternal life in Jesus Christ. The world cannot take this joy from us. So, dear listener, the precious gift of Jesus Christ is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which the world cannot give. But through Jesus Christ, the Lord, it can be yours.

Yes, no calamity, no worry, no anxiety, no poverty, nothing in this world can take this joy, peace, and tranquillity from us. Yes, dear listeners, when you go out of your house, is there anyone you can ask how today was? They always say it wasn't a good day. There is always complaining and lamenting that there is no joy. Our people are truly like this in Afghanistan. Yes, when you ask anyone, they say they have no hope left. Our hope has been taken from us. Our work has been taken from us. Our lives have been taken from us. Yes, let us never be neglectful in praying for one another, for our brothers, for our sisters, for all our compatriots who do not have this joy today. Yes, mothers who have no children, brothers who are wandering, trying to find work, there is none. They return home with dry lips. Yes, we have become spiritual fathers who say, "When I return home, I am ashamed of my children. I am ashamed of my wife. What kind of man am I that I have not brought home a morsel of bread?" They are ashamed of themselves. Yes, because they have no hope.

In Romans, chapter 14, verse 17, it says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Just as it is preached in our country that brothers should do these things, act in this way, and you will receive such rewards in paradise. This kind of preaching is common. But here, the word of God says if you want to enter our kingdom, where our presence is, it is not about eating and drinking. What is being preached today in our country is unfortunately misplaced. But in Galatians, chapter 5, verse 22, it says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace." In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, verse 44 says, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Today, everything you have will one day leave you. Be a trader who purchases this treasure from the Bible, but do so freely today. Just have faith, and this hidden treasure that no one speaks of, the treasure that is in the word of God, the treasure that is God Himself, we should not overlook, dear listeners. This joy lives and continues through the word of God in the Bible. Joy is given to those who trust in Christ.

Dear listener, Psalm 16:11 says, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Joy in God is higher and greater than all earthly joys. So, dear listener, God calls all nations, all people today, regardless of your situation, He calls you to that joy that He wants to share with you. So, join in. In all earthly nations, find that hidden treasure. Yes, this treasure is timeless. Do not forget, dear listeners, how much we strive for worldly treasures, how much we search for them to acquire them. Seek the treasure that God has given you freely. In this treasure, there is no discrimination or salvation. There is no salvation by race. So, if you want joy today, be joyful in God. Have hope that your tears will turn into joy. Being joyful in God is a command. If you are hopeless today, think about this word of God. God loves you. God is aware of your struggles. But He waits for you to say yes. And look up like that poor man, looking heavenward and saying, "O God, see this heart of mine," and let the light of Jesus, who is the light of the world, shine in your heart.

Dear listeners, I hope you have been blessed by this programme. May your eyes of hope be turned towards the Lord. Ask Him, for the Lord is a listening God, an all-seeing God. Let us not put our hope in humans but only in the Lord Jesus Christ. This has been our programme for today. Until the next programme, we commend you to the powerful hands of the Lord, who is the source of peace and health. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.