Jeremiah 31:13 - God Will Turn Mourning Into Gladness And Sorrow Into Joy.

Jeremiah 31:13: God Will Turn Mourning Into Gladness And Sorrow 
Into Joy. 

Jeremiah 31:13 (KJV)  Then shall the virgin rejoice in the 
dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning 
into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their 
sorrow. 

Jeremiah 31:13 (NIV)  Then maidens will dance and be glad, young 
men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I 
will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. 

Jeremiah 31:13 (NLT)  The young women will dance for joy, and 
the men--old and young--will join in the celebration. I will turn 
their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow 
for rejoicing.  

Humbled in the sight of the nations, those who once had been 
recognized as favored of Heaven above all other peoples of the earth were 
to learn in exile the lesson of obedience so necessary for their 
future happiness. Until they had learned this lesson, God could not do 
for them all that He desired to do. "I will correct thee in measure, 
and will not leave thee altogether unpunished," He declared in 
explanation of His purpose to chastise them for their spiritual good. 
Jeremiah 30:11. Yet those who had been the object of His tender love were 
not forever set aside; before all the nations of earth He would 
demonstrate His plan to bring victory out of apparent defeat, to save rather 
than to destroy. To the prophet was given the message:   
"He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a 
shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed 
him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they 
shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to 
the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and 
for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be 
as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. . . 
. I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and 
make them rejoice from their sorrow. {PK 475} 

And for those also who mourn in trial and sorrow there is 
comfort. The bitterness of grief and humiliation is better than the 
indulgences of sin. Through affliction God reveals to us the plague spots in 
our characters, that by His grace we may overcome our faults. 
Unknown chapters in regard to ourselves are opened to us, and the test 
comes, whether we will accept the reproof and the counsel of God. When 
brought into trial, we are not to fret and complain. We should not 
rebel, or worry ourselves out of the hand of Christ. We are to humble 
the soul before God. The ways of the Lord are obscure to him who 
desires to see things in a light pleasing to himself. They appear dark 
and joyless to our human nature. But God's ways are ways of mercy 
and the end is salvation. Elijah knew not what he was doing when in 
the desert he said that he had had enough of life, and prayed that 
he might die. The Lord in His mercy did not take him at his word. 
There was yet a great work for Elijah to do; and when his work was 
done, he was not to perish in discouragement and solitude in the 
wilderness. Not for him the descent into the dust of death, but the ascent 
in glory, with the convoy of celestial chariots, to the throne on 
high.  {DA 301.1} 

"Blessed are the meek." The difficulties we have to encounter 
may be very much lessened by that meekness which hides itself in 
Christ. If we possess the humility of our Master, we shall rise above 
the slights, the rebuffs, the annoyances, to which we are daily 
exposed, and they will cease to cast a gloom over the spirit. The highest 
evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control. He who under abuse 
or cruelty fails to maintain a calm and trustful spirit robs God of 
His right to reveal in him His own perfection of character. 
Lowliness of heart is the strength that gives victory to the followers of 
Christ; it is the token of their connection with the courts above.   
"Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly." 
Ps. 138:6. Those who reveal the meek and lowly spirit of Christ are 
tenderly regarded by God. They may be looked upon with scorn by the 
world, but they are of great value in His sight. Not only the wise, the 
great, the beneficent, will gain a passport to the heavenly courts; not 
only the busy worker, full of zeal and restless activity. No; the 
poor in spirit, who crave the presence of an abiding Christ, the 
humble in heart, whose highest ambition is to do God's will,--these 
will gain an abundant entrance. {DA 301.4} 

If we search for any reason for God's promise of restoration in 
the people of Judah themselves, we'll be disappointed. Nothing in 
their character or actions was attractive. Nothing merited God's 
consideration. Instead the reason Jeremiah gave was simply that God had chosen 
to love His people "with an everlasting love." It is the overflow 
of His "loving-kindness," a term that speaks of God's compassionate 
commitment to His covenant promises, which lies at the root of His 
actions. 
It is the same with us today. When God sent His Son into the 
world, it was to save His enemies! He saved us despite, not because of, 
what we are. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 
5:8). Let's never fall into the error of thinking that God saved us, 
or will save another person, because we are "good" or "nice" or 
somehow deserve His favor. 
And what a blessing this is! The nicest of us are flawed, and if 
we had to depend on our own works, would be uncertain about gaining 
God's gift. But since all depends on the love of God, we can be 
confident and sure. God's love is boundless, and as Jeremiah says, 
"everlasting." Only because we rely completely on the love of God can we say 
with confidence that we have been, are being, and surely will be 
"saved." 
No wonder Jeremiah called on Judah to "sing with joy" and "make 
your praises heard." Trust in the love of God will turn our "mourning 
into gladness," and will give us "comfort and joy instead of sorrow." 
[The 365-Day Devotional Commentary] 

God's people should praise Him continually because He created 
them, loves them and restores them unto Himself. [Disciple SB mod] 

Isaiah 35:10 (KJV)  And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, 
and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: 
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee 
away.  

Isaiah 51:11 (KJV)  Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall 
return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be 
upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and 
mourning shall flee away.  

Isaiah 61:3 (KJV)  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to 
give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the 
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called 
trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be 
glorified.