Laughter to Mourning and Joy to Heaviness James 4:9

James told the people within the “twelve tribes scattered abroad” to “submit” themselves to “God”, “resist the devil” and he would “flee from” them. He also exhorted them to “draw near to God”, and He would “draw near to” them. They were to “cleanse” their “hands” because they were “sinners”, and they were to “purify” their “hearts” because they were “double minded”. In chapter four and verse nine of his letter, James told them to “let” their “laughter be turned to mourning” their “joy to heaviness” where we read:

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:

let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

The verse begins, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:” James began with the words, “Be afflicted” which means “toil heavily, endure labors and hardships and feel miserable”, “and mourn” or “lament, wail, bewail and grieve”, “and weep” which refers to “mourning, lamenting as the sign of pain and grief for the thing signified”. Rather than be boastful, independent and unclean, James' readers were to humble themselves by “miserable toil” and “grief” over their “sinful” conditions.

The verse goes on to say, “let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” James continued with the phrase, “let your laughter” which is the Greek word “gelōs “ or “laughing as a mark of gratification” “be turned” which means “turned around, across, transmuted, corrupted or perverted” “to mourning” or “sorrow and grief”, “and your joy” which means “gladness and joyfulness” “to heaviness” which means “a downcast look that is expressive of sorrow, shame, dejection and gloom”. Rather than rejoicing over their “sinful ways”, the people were to allow “sorrow and grief” to replace their “gladness” in a “shameful, dejected and gloomy” manner.

When we think through these words of James, they may seem to be a heavy downer in opposition to the way a Christian should be. However, James' idea is for his readers to be “sorrowful” over their wicked and “sinful” ways, and rather than celebrating them, they should humble themselves before the Lord, “draw near” to Him and “purify” their “double minded hearts”. If we align ourselves with Jesus Christ and follow after Him, we must be “sorrowful and mournful” over our sinful state. We must bow down before the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and ask Him to turn us from our wicked ways. It is only then we will know the “joy and laughter” that only He provides.

Next time James tells his readers to “humble” themselves “in the sight of the Lord”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.