God is yet going to fill your mouth with
laughter he's still going to bring you
home with armloads of blessings not the
same way you were but stronger healthier
promoted at a new level of your
destiny I'd like to start with something
funny and I heard about these three men
a Baptist a Catholic and a charismatic
they died on the same day and went to
heaven St Peter met him at the Pearly
Gates said I'm so sorry men but your
rooms are not available yet he didn't
know what to do so he decided to call
Satan and see if he would keep them for
a little while Satan reluctantly agreed
few hours later Satan called back said
Peter you have to come get these guys
the Baptist man is saving everyone
Catholic man is forgiving everyone and
the charismatic has already raised
enough money for air
conditioning say it like you mean it
this is my Bible I am what it says I am
I have what it says I have I can do what
it says I can do today I will be taught
the word of God I boldly confess my mind
is alert my heart is receptive I will
never be the same in Jesus name God
bless
you I want to talk to you today about
you're going to laugh again we all go
through seasons of struggle and Seasons
where we're dealing with an illness loss
of a loved one a relationship didn't
work out we don't understand doesn't
seem fair it's easy to think that the
Suffering The Struggle the Weeping is
the way it's always going to be I met a
young couple they were in town for
treatment at the medical center and he
had just been diagnosed with a very
serious illness as they held their
little children they wept and wept so
devastated but God never promised that
we wouldn't have seasons of weeping
seasons of struggle but Jesus said in
Luke 6 blessed are those who weep now
for in due time you will laugh the
promise God makes us is the suffering is
only a season the Weeping is not how
your story ends you're going to laugh
again God sees what you're going through
he knows what wasn't fair the Lonely
Nights the pain the heartache the
scripture says he's collected all of
your tears you may have felt alone but
he's been right there with you the good
news is he's not going to leave you in
suffering it's not going to leave you
brokenhearted weighed down with burdens
for Peter says after you have suffered a
little while not your whole life not the
next 20 years but after a little while
it goes on to say God himself will
strengthen you establish you and put you
back on your feet you may be in a season
of suffering season of struggle you feel
stuck in your health your marriage your
finances seems like it's never going to
get better no God himself is about to
step in and do what only he can do when
you see how he restores you how he pays
you back for what was unfair how he
brings you out better your mourning is
going to be turned to dancing your
sorrow turned to Joy that weeping turned
to laughter don't believe those lies
that you'll always be lonely you'll
always mourn that loss always be
brokenhearted over that child no your
time is coming the psalmist said weeping
may endure for a night but joy is coming
in the morning
notice weeping may endure May means it's
not certain it's questionable but here's
the promise Joy is coming not maybe not
hope so there's a good chance the most
high God says joy is on the way you're
going to laugh again you're going to
dream again you're going to love again
you're going to see God's blessing in
such a way that all you can do is laugh
laugh in amazement laugh in gratitude
laugh at the goodness of God this is
what what happened to the Israelites
they had been living in Jerusalem when
King Nebuchadnezzar came and attacked
the city he captured them put them in
chains took them to Babylon here they
were enjoying life raising their
children going to work everything
changed now they were in this season of
suffering being mistreated wondering God
where are you why is this happening year
went by they prayed for Freedom believed
they'd be released but nothing 2 years
three years years four years finally
they accepted it this suffering is our
destiny being mistreated taking
advantage of we just have to get used to
it says in Psalm 37 they went down to
the rivers in Babylon and wept as they
remembered Jerusalem as they thought
about what used to be the joy they used
to have all they could do was Weep the
Babylonians asked them to sing the songs
of Jerusalem let us hear those joyful
Melodies we've heard about the
Israelites said how can we sing we're in
mourning we're captive our hearts are
heavy the pain is too real the suffering
too great they hung up their hearts on
the willow trees put away their
instruments they were in a season of
weeping and sometimes we think it's weak
to weep come on be strong get it
together but God made us to feel things
there are times the pressure is so great
the loss so heavy the disappointment so
discouraging
we don't think we can go on that's why
he said weeping may endure for a night
you may go through a season of weeping
something that's breaking your heart
feels too much to carry weeping is not a
lack of faith doesn't mean you're not
Tough Enough it means that your heart is
working it means that you care deeply
one time David came back home and saw
that his City had been attacked and all
the wives and children had been
kidnapped the scripture says he wept
until he could could not weep anymore
now David was a warrior he' killed a
lion and a bear with his hands he had
defeated Goliath he was this strong
feared courageous leader but there were
times he felt so overcome so heavy that
he wept that's the way the Israelites
were there was nothing they could do
they were slaves the Babylonians were
bigger stronger had more people more
equipment looked like the suffering the
heartache the Weeping was permanent how
could they ever break free but here's
the key God has already scheduled a time
to end the suffering he's already set
the time to end the heartache to bring
you out of what's held you captive to
turn around what's causing the tears
after the Israelites had suffered a
little while after they'd gone through
that season of weeping God himself said
I'm coming down to do something about it
God is not going to let someone continue
to mistreat you to keep you at a
disadvantage where that burden that
heaviness becomes permanent you may not
be able to do anything about it it's too
much for you but it's not too much for
our God one touch of his favor and
things will shift chains will break that
child will turn around that addiction
will be broken that sickness will come
to an end the scripture says God turned
the Captivity of the Israelites God
freed them God is about to turn some
things in your your life turn problems
around turn loneliness around turn
finances around turn your health around
the Israelites were weeping it's not
like they had this great faith they were
super strong they were discouraged they
had accepted the Suffering The Struggle
the hardship was their Destiny but God
is so merciful he's not going to let the
suffering continue you may go through
seasons of weeping seasons of Sorrow
it's not fair you don't understand but
it's only a season it's not permanent
well Joel I don't see how my situation
could ever work out with what I've been
through with what I'm up against now how
could I ever be happy again you're
looking at it in the natural but God is
Supernatural he is not going to leave
you in a broken place a wounded place a
lonely place he wouldn't have allowed
the suffering if he wasn't going to
bring you out better the suffering is a
setup for God to show out in your life
he turns mourning into dancing sorrow
into Joy the greater the adversity the
greater The Joy the greater the
suffering the greater the blessing the
message translation says the suffering
is not forever it won't be long before
our great God will have you put together
and back on your feet he has the final
say yes he does you may be in a season
of struggle God is saying it won't be
long till I have you back on your feet
it won't be long till your health turns
around won't be long till that child
gets back on course till that situation
in your marriage resolved now it may
look like the enemy has won like with
the Israelites he has you captive it
seems permanent the good news is God has
the final say he's in control not just
of your life he's in control of your
circumstances nothing can stand against
him when it's your time doors will open
free Freedom will come healing will show
up the good breaks will find you the
scripture says when God turned the
Captivity of the Israelites it was like
a dream their mouth was filled with
laughter and their lips with songs of
Joy imagine the Israelites back home in
Jerusalem laughing with their families
singing songs of Joy these were the same
people that earlier thought the
suffering was permanent the same ones
that were sitting by the rivers in
Babylon weeping and weeping thinking
they had seen their best days now
they're not only free not just back home
but they're filled with laughter their
Joy is overflowing that's the way our
God is he's not going to just bring you
out he's going to make the enemy pay all
the suffering sadness heartache God's
going to pay you back with more joy
you're going to be happier than you've
ever been you're going to laugh more
than you've ever laughed like with them
when you see what God does it's going to
be like a dream you're going to be
amazed at how God restores you
re-energizes you takes you where you
never thought possible when my father
passed that was the biggest challenge
that I ever faced I didn't see that
coming and I went through that season of
Sorrow miss my father and a season of
suffering trying to learn how to
minister and figure out who I was how to
overcome negative voices many nights I'd
get up at 3:00 in the morning to write
my messages not sure if I would finish
in time was stressful had times I felt
overwhelmed but I've learned in those
seasons of suffering seasons of struggle
something is happening on the inside of
us there's a strength a perseverance a
resolve that's being developed if we
have the right attitude we're learning
to trust God in a greater way even when
we feel weak when we don't think we have
the faith God is using that struggle in
ways that we can't see it's not working
against you it's working for you it's
getting you prepared for something
amazing that's coming and after I had
suffered a little while not my whole
life God turned things in my favor I can
say like the Israelites it's been like a
dream I never imagined where God was
taking me but here's the point when
you're in the suffering in the struggle
in the mourning you can't see what God
is about to do most of the time God God
doesn't show you what's in store all you
can see is more the same the Babylonians
are bigger there's no way I can get out
no way I can get well no way I'll be
happy after this breakup don't let the
size of the Babylonians fool you don't
let those bad breaks what you've been
through convince you that the suffering
is permanent in just a little while our
great God is not only going to show up
not only turn it around but he's going
to fill your mouth with laughter
that means no more heartache no more
suffering no more loneliness God is
about to do a new thing he saying you've
suffered long enough you put up with the
trouble the heartache the sorrow those
tears of sadness are coming to an end
you're going to see tears of joy tears
of gratitude tears of Thanksgiving
amazed at the goodness of God there was
a young woman that came down for prayer
with her husband and she was expecting
her first child 12 weeks pregnant but
she lost the baby this was her sixth
miscarriage she had not carried a child
this long and she had hoped that this
would be the one but unfortunately it
didn't happen as she was telling me
these big tears were streaming down her
cheeks her husband weeping beside her
the pain is real the Heartbreak is heavy
the beauty of our God is he can feel
what we feel when Jesus saw Mary and
Martha Weeping at the death of their
brother brother the scripture says Jesus
wept what's interesting is he already
knew he was going to raise Lazarus he
already knew it was going to have a good
outcome but he was moved by Mary and
Martha's tears he could feel their
heartbreak their sorrow he begin to weep
with them there are times when life
throws us such a blow all we can do is
weep but know this When You Weep God
weeps when your heartbroken God feels it
when you don't think you can go on you
feel overwhelmed God is right there with
you the scripture says he's close to the
Brokenhearted I told that couple what
I'm telling you you may be weeping now
but joy is coming being heartbroken is
not how your story ends I love what
Jesus Promised blessed are those who
weep for in due time you will laugh it
seems like he would say you're blessed
when the problem turns around not When
You Weep you're blessed when you're
promoted
you're blessed when the healing comes
but he said When You Weep when your
heart is broken when the load seems too
heavy you're blessed because he's about
to step in and turn things around he's
about to make up for what you've lost
he's about to pay you back for the
trouble those tears are painful but
God's about to fill your mouth with
laughter when you're in those suffering
Seasons those weeping Seasons those
seasons of struggle you need to keep
this promise in your spirit I may be
weeping now but I know Joy is coming
these may be tears of sadness but I know
I'm going to laugh again we prayed and
the couple went back to their seat two
years later they came to the reception
after the service she had the biggest
smile her husband was beaming from ear
to ear they were each holding a
9-month-old baby they had twin girls
those same tears were flowing down their
faces but but this time they were tears
of joy they were tears of gratefulness
she said we are so happy we were
believing for one child we never dreamed
God would give us too that's the way God
is he's going to pay you back for the
suffering he's going to take what was
meant for harm and turn it to your
advantage and I can't promise you that
you won't have suffering you won't have
tears things that are not fair burdens
you don't deserve but I can promise you
that God feels what you feel that he's
right there with you and that the
suffering is not permanent there will be
a time when the suffering is gone and
you have the baby you have the promise
you have the healing you have the
victory you're not just out of the
hardship but you're amazed at what God
has done Psalm 126 says those who went
off with heavy hearts will come home
laughing with armloads of blessings yes
we all have times where our hearts are
heavy go through a loss bad medical
report being mistreated on the job can
feel like a dead end it'll never change
now look at the rest of the scripture
your heart may be heavy but you're going
to come home laughing how with armloads
of blessings that tells me God is going
to make the enemy pay for the trouble
he's going to bring you out better than
you were before that young couple
standing in front of me were holding two
babies that was literally armloads of
blessings you may have something heavy
on you today like you're carrying sorrow
carrying pain God's about to do an
exchange instead of carrying the pain
not being able to have the children how
about carrying two babies instead of
carrying the sorrow how about carrying
Joy instead of carrying the hurt from
the breakup carrying the loneliness how
about someone great walking into your
life now you're laughing now you're
dreaming now you're living a Victorious
Life That's how good God is you go out
out with a heavy heart and you come back
laughing loaded down with blessings with
peace with favor with victory in the
scripture job went through a season of
suffering there was a lot of pain and
heartache and he had done nothing wrong
job was a good man the scripture says he
was blameless had Integrity that he
stayed away from Evil everything was
going great then the bottom fell out
lost his business lost his children lost
his health sometimes when it rains it PS
Wars thoughts will try to convince you
that the suffering is permanent it's too
bad it's been too long no way it could
work out now but God won't let you get
in a problem that he can't bring you out
of the enemy is not in control of your
life God is Satan had to ask God for
permission to test Joe he didn't just
come put all this trouble on him there's
a bloodline around your life that the
enemy cannot cross without God's
permission that's why we can stay in
peace even in times of trouble sometimes
it's simply a test how are we going to
respond in the suffering seasons in the
seasons of struggle when it's not fair
we're doing the right thing but the
wrong thing has happened job was so
distraught that he tore his robe in
grief and sat down among the ashes after
all the heartache all the loss he was
overwhelmed you can't just pray this
away have enough Faith so it doesn't
affect you it's okay to feel things it's
not a lack of faith to say God my heart
is heavy I'm grieving I don't think I
can go on when Jesus was on his way to
be crucified he fell down under the
weight of the Cross he couldn't carry it
anymore here he's the son of God yet in
his human body he didn't have the
strength God didn't say son what's wrong
with you you need to be stronger tougher
no God sent a man named Simon to carry
it for
him sometimes you can't carry the weight
of what you're under you can't carry the
pressure job was honest he sat down said
God I can't take it anymore he started
complaining he said why was I born you
should have let me die at Birth God I
hate my life he didn't hold anything
back one thing I love about God is he's
merciful he doesn't hold things against
us if we had to perform perfectly never
complain always have strong unwavering
Faith none of us would have a chance God
knows when the pressure is so strong the
weight so heavy that you can't carry it
by yourself job finally got past all the
doubt the fear the self-pity he looked
up and said I know my redeemer lives God
even if you slay me I'm still going to
trust you while job was sitting in the
ashes boils all over his body going
through loss and heartache God said I
will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy
I'm sure job thought God are you kidding
you're telling me with all my trouble
that I'm going to laugh again that I'm
going to be happy that I'm still going
to enjoy my life that's the promise all
through the scripture weeping endures
for a night but joy is coming after
you've suffered a little while God will
step in and put you back on your feet
that's what happened with job God not
only healed him not only restored what
he'd lost but he gave him twice what he
had before he came out out with twice
the cattle twice the Sheep had twice the
children like the Israelites he went out
with a heavy heart but he came back full
of joy with armloads of blessings the
scripture says after this challenge job
lived 140 years saw his children and
grandchildren down to four generations
he died an old man having lived a long
good life some Scholars say that whole
trial lasted less than a year what
Decades of his life it was just a season
and all of us are going to have some of
these seasons of suffering seasons of
struggle Seasons when it's not fair like
job you'll be tempted to get bitter
blame God give up on your dreams but you
have to remember God is still on the
throne the enemy didn't take control of
your life God is yet going to fill your
mouth with laughter he's still going to
bring you home with armloads of
blessings not the same way you were but
stronger healthier promoted at a new
level of your
destiny I talked to a young woman from
Africa her dream was to get her
doctorate so she could become a
professor she finished her Masters and
was studying for her final exams to get
into the doctorate program but her
landlord told her she had to move out of
her apartment he broke the lease without
any warning and she had to move into the
dorm was right in the middle of her main
exams and threw things off to where she
couldn't stud study she ended up getting
turned down for the program she was so
discouraged mad at herself mad at the
landlord she had applied to 16 different
universities and was turned down by each
one every door closed looked like her
dream had died and she told how she was
heartbroken how it felt unfair she was
in a season of struggle a season of
weeping for a time like job she sat down
among the ashes she thought it just
wasn't meant to be
she had applied to this very prestigious
University in Italy they liked her but
they had 12 people on the waiting list
in front of her two weeks before school
started they emailed back and said we've
never done this but we're going to open
a position just for you when she arrived
they informed her that out of hundreds
of doctorate students she had been
chosen as one of the six to be enrolled
in the advanced study program that meant
she not only had a full scholarship
but she didn't have to live in the dorm
she would have her own executive
apartment in a beautiful neighborhood by
the
university she was so excited she said
this was more than I ever imagined God
knows how to pay you back for the wrongs
he knows how to turn your sorrow into
Joy she went out with a heavy heart but
she came back laughing with armloads of
blessings the suffering is a setup it's
positioning you for something greater
it's going to feel unfair overwhelming
why is this happening God knows what
he's doing he may not asend it but he's
going to use it to move you into your
purpose God told Abraham and Sarah that
they were going to have a baby but they
were both way too old Sarah had been
bearing her whole life Sarah heard this
promise but it was so far out she
laughed in disbelief she said How could
an old woman like me have a child years
went by sign no sign of a baby I can
imagine Sarah seeing other women having
children laughing playing she thought
God why won't it happen for me she
finally accepted that it wasn't meant to
be but just because you give up doesn't
mean God gives up at 90 years old
Against All Odds Sarah got pregnant and
gave birth to a son she named him Isaac
which means laughter she said in Genesis
God has brought me laughter and and all
who hear about this will laugh with me
she laughed the first time in doubt
thinking there's no way she thought she
was done but her next laugh was in
amazement you may have had
disappointments and things haven't
worked out you're in that suffering
season you think the struggle the
Weeping is the way it's always going to
be know like God did for Sarah you're
going to laugh again it's not too late
you haven't had too many bad breaks God
sees what you've been through through he
sees what wasn't fair and he is yet
going to fill your mouth with laughter I
believe and declare That season of
struggle is coming to an end the
suffering season has run its course
you're going to feel that heaviness lift
off of you you're about to come into
armloads of blessings something that you
cannot explain the goodness of God in
Jesus name and if you receive it can you
say Amen
