You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!  (Psalm 30:11-12) NLT

There is a deep joy — the sort of meaningful, overwhelming, heart-swelling sort of joy — that can’t be expressed in words alone. I think that’s why there are so many verses in the Bible that mention dancing as a way of expressing praise to God, including the above verses. I’m not really that sort of expressive person, but I know a lot of people who are and they express their praise by raising their arms or even spinning across the room when the Spirit leads them.
Whether we use song or dance or whispers from a timid heart, there are many ways to rejoice in the presence of our Savior. But as I read the above verses, I realized that David’s psalm is not speaking of a care-free happiness; his praise comes out of a heavy mourning. What a strange concept! It seems that the deepest and most heartfelt joy is born through what we learn from Jesus in times of loss, grief, and pain.
Each year I spend on this earth, my list of friends and loved ones who have gone ahead to heaven grows longer. Yet daily, Jesus brings joy into sadness. All that He has done for me means that one day my joy will be complete. Mourning will be over for good. He will ultimately clothe me in joy, and in the meantime, He daily invites me to a dance of celebration — anticipating in faith what is to come.

Faith Step:    Lift your arms in praise to Jesus today. If you are mourning, meditate on today’s verse and believe that He will transform that pain into joy.