Your Grief Will Turn to Joy: Trusting God in the Waiting (John 16:20)

“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”

John 16:20

Dear Friends,

Hindsight is 20/20 – or so the saying goes. When we look back on difficult circumstances, we often discover what we couldn’t see in the middle of the trial. The lesson or purpose becomes clearer, and sometimes the pain eventually gives way to joy.

Yet the hardest part is the waiting in the middle, when nothing makes sense and the outcome is uncertain. In those moments, we must remind ourselves of the truth and cling to it.

When Waiting Feels Unbearable

It has been about six weeks since my newest granddaughter was born. For nine months, we waited expectantly to meet our sweet little girl. But when the day of her birth arrived, things didn’t go as planned.

The birth itself was quick, but the excitement was short-lived. Within minutes, the doctors rushed baby Lydia to the NICU, where for several days her life hung in the balance.

That time of waiting for answers affected our entire family, but especially her mom and dad. No one knew what would happen. All we could do was wait, hope, and pray.

A Simple Prayer of Trust

During that time of uncertainty, Lydia’s daddy expressed his trust in God to his two older children in a simple yet beautiful way. His words became a prayer for all of us:

“God, we don’t know why, but we do know You.”

That statement of faith sustained us as we waited for God’s plan to unfold.

The Disciples’ Darkest Moment

The disciples also experienced a time of painful waiting. The day after Jesus’ crucifixion, their minds must have been overwhelmed by the tragic events they had just witnessed. Fear and uncertainty filled their hearts.

Perhaps, like our family, they asked the question why as they tried to process what had happened and wondered what the future would hold.

As this group of traumatized men huddled together in the upper room, maybe they began recalling the things Jesus had said to prepare them for His death. John remembered Jesus’ words:

John 16:20
“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”

The disciples were grieving now, but soon their clouded vision would clear. In time, they would understand the purpose behind their pain. Their grief would truly turn to joy.

This transformation would become even clearer when the Advocate Jesus had promised arrived. The Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth, reveal what was to come, and make Jesus fully known to them. He would teach them all things, remind them of everything Jesus had said, and provide the comfort they desperately needed in their troubled world.

Not only that, but the Spirit would convict the world of sin, of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment if people refused to repent and receive the salvation found in Jesus.

In time, God would restore their 20/20 vision, and these men would boldly testify to all they had seen, heard, and touched – the Word of Life.

When Your Grief Will Turn to Joy

Are you waiting, wondering, or grieving right now?

If so, look heavenward and pour out your heart in prayer. Make Lydia’s daddy’s prayer your own:

“God, I don’t know why, but I do know You.”

Remind yourself of the truth and cling to it. Because just like the disciples grieving on that dark and lonely Saturday, the joy of Sunday is coming.

Love,

Mama

Have you experienced a time when God turned your grief into joy?
Share your story in the comments. Your testimony might be the encouragement someone else needs today.

This reflection is part of my Passion Week Reflections devotional series, a week of daily insights into Jesus’ final days leading up to His death and resurrection.

You can read all the posts in this series and continue the journey here →
Passion Week Reflections Series