When God Turns Heaviness Into Rejoicing
In this sermon When God Turns Heaviness Into Rejoicing, "Ye greatly rejoice," and yet "ye are in heaviness." Is that possible? Can there be in the same heart great rejoicing, and yet a temporary heaviness? Absolutely. This paradox has been known and felt by many of the Lord's children. It is far from being the greatest paradox of the Christian life. Look first of all at the Christian's heaviness: he is "in heaviness through manifold temptations;" Sometimes we Christians refer to this text as a way of backing up our assertion that there is a need for our trials and tribulations. But actually, there is something far better in this text: This text is showing us that there is not only a need for the trial, but also a need for the heaviness: We will see why it is that there is an absolute needs be, not merely for temptations and troubles, but likewise for our being in heaviness under them.