Joy in the Midst of Darkness

“May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’” (Psalm 70:4)

Why would David pray for gladness in the middle of a crisis?

Psalm 70 is no stroll through green pastures. It’s a battlefield. David is desperate pleading for God’s help, pressed by enemies, crushed by threats. His first and last words are essentially, “Help me, Lord. Don’t delay!”

And yet, right in the middle of this five-verse foxhole prayer, we find a shocking request:

“May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.”

Not “may I be rescued.” Not “may I survive.” David’s deepest cry isn’t just for relief it’s for worship. Not just his own worship, but the joyful adoration of all God’s people.

This is what makes Psalm 70:4 so stunning and so encouraging for those facing dark days.

Joy That Survives the Night

For many of us, the pursuit of joy can feel like a luxury. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with suffering, disappointment, anxiety, or loss. You don’t need joy you need oxygen.

But Psalm 70 says joy isn’t reserved for the strong, successful, or settled.
It’s not a reward for making it through the fire.
It’s the gift God gives in the fire.

David doesn’t wait for healing to pray for gladness. He doesn’t wait for victory to ask for worship. He pleads for it in the dark while the arrows are still flying. Christian joy isn’t a denial of pain. It’s a miracle in the middle of pain.

What David Teaches Us to Pray

Here’s what Psalm 70:4 teaches us:

• God can give you joy even when life is unraveling.

• The joy of others matters, even when you're hurting.

• Passion for God's glory can grow best in desperate soil.

If David can plead for universal gladness and worship in the midst of suffering, so can we. That means this kind of joy is not just possible it's available, even to the broken, the burdened, and the barely-hanging-on.

How to Pray in the Dark

David’s example shows us how to pray through pain without being consumed by it:

1. Seek God More Than Answers

“May all who seek you rejoice...”
Don’t seek comfort, control, or even clarity first. Seek him.
Gladness grows when you fix your eyes on the Giver, not the gifts.

2. Love the Salvation You Already Have

“May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’”
Even if nothing else changes, you have something solid: God has saved you. He is saving you. And he will save you.
Don’t forget to marvel at grace it turns panic into praise.

3. Let Your Joy Be Your Witness

“Say evermore, ‘God is great!’”
Your joy in suffering declares something powerful:
God is better than the storm.
Let the world hear you say so.

Don’t Wait to Rejoice

Are you tempted to say, “I’ll rejoice once I feel better. Once this is over. Once God comes through.”?

Don’t wait.

Psalm 70:4 isn’t an afterthought it’s a battle cry.
It doesn’t rise after the rescue it breaks through the smoke.

So even now even here you can say:
God is great.
He is good.
And I will be glad in him.

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