“Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, Strive [Greek: agōnizomai] to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:23-24; cf. Matthew 7:13-14).
“For His anger [endureth but] a moment; in His favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1-3; cf. Luke 4:14-32).
Intermingling of inestimable joy, peace, and righteousness with unceasing grief and pain. Enter and agonize through the strait gate; the lacerating anguish of weeping is for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Beauty instead of ashes for those in Zion who mourn — patient waiting for the LORD. The oil of joy and a garment of praise to eternally heal and ease the heavy and bludgeoned soul. Be sober, gird up thy loins. Rejoice that you are a planted tree of the LORD in whom He is and will be glorified. The joy of the LORD is your fortress.
“Truly, truly, I say to you that you will weep and will lament, but the world will rejoice. And you will be grieved, but your grief will become joy. The woman has grief when she bears, because her hour came, but when she brings forth the child, she no longer remembers the distress, because of the joy that a man was born into the world. And you, then, truly have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy from you” (John 16:20-22).
Agrammatos 