One of the Division 1 schools in my area entered its conference tournament as the number eight seed and appeared to be a long shot to win it all. The head coach for the team admitted they fell short of expectations, but that the one goal they could hold on to was winning a conference tournament championship. Despite the odds, the team achieved that goal by knocking off the first-, second- and fourth-seeded teams, earning an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament in the process. As one player said, the team put it together when it counted most.

We all know that falling short of our expectations can bring about many disappointments on and off the court. However, if we, like this team, keep looking forward to even a small hope of success, we’ll often be glad we made the effort.

King David knew this firsthand. Although he had been chosen by God to lead the Israelites, he faced many struggles. But when he cried out to God and clung to the hope found in Him, David’s mourning turned into dancing.

The Son of David, Jesus Christ, experienced far greater trials when He came to Earth. He endured the cross, submitting Himself to God for the joy that was set before Him (see Hebrews 12:2). He also knew that the mourning would soon be turned to dancing! Likewise, God sometimes gives us a new outlook in difficult situations so that we might endure them (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-9), or He relieves us entirely by removing us from the situation (see Exodus 6:6). Whatever the circumstance, because of God’s love and faithfulness, we can submit ourselves to Him, thankful that His joy is our strength! Although we may not always be certain of how or when God will relieve us, as we seek Him in the midst of our daily challenges, we can always be certain that He will.