Day 247

Ecclesiastes 7:1–9:18; 2 Corinthians 7:8-16; Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 22:17-19

IF I WERE to say the word sorrow, what thoughts or feelings would it bring up? Do you view sorrow as a positive or negative emotion? Is sorrow something to be embraced or avoided? Or maybe it’s just something that simply must be endured?

I have yet to meet a person who seeks out sorrow in their life on purpose. But I have yet to meet a person who hasn’t experienced it. Whether it comes because of loss, disappointment, or misfortune, we all eventually experience sorrow, and usually, we consider it a dark and distressing condition.

The apostle Paul certainly wasn’t unfamiliar with suffering. But he does make a distinction when it comes to sorrow. In our reading from 2 Corinthians today, Paul told us:

The kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

There is a kind of sorrow that leads us to repentance. According to Paul, we should experience sorrow when we find ourselves wandering into what we know is wrong. It should be disappointing. It should feel like loss. It should cause distress. When we walk into sin with our eyes wide open, we should experience the gravity of what we are doing, because we are willingly interrupting the process of sanctification within us. We are also betraying our source of life. This is neither good nor healthy, and we should feel sorrow over it because as Paul said, it “leads us away from sin and results in salvation.” This sorrow is the awareness inside that we’re running away from God, rather than to Him —and the catapulting regret that ensues as we reflect on our recent choices and decisions. And this sorrow leads us to repent —which literally means that we are changing our minds about everything and returning to God with abandon. Let the chips fall where they may.

Either way, the experience of sorrow ultimately leads us back to God.

Rethink sorrow today. Obviously, no one waits in line to get their daily dose. But when we experience it, let’s run to God. Whether we need His comfort or His forgiveness, sorrow reminds us of our desperate need of Him. And we can be certain that He will heal our broken hearts (Psalm 147:3) and forgive our sins (1 John 1:9).

MEDITATION:

I am teaching you today —yes, you —so you will trust in the LORD.