Today's Bible Reading: PSALM 27-32
Psalm 30:5
For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
There are times in life when we incur the Lord’s fatherly anger. He frowns upon his erring children. His hand is heavy upon them. His anger is aroused and His wrath is poured out. They become saints suffering at the hand of their sovereign. But the exhortation of the Psalm is that “His anger is but for a moment”, affirming that His anger is slow to commence and quick to cease. These are brief bouts that He uses to bring us back. They are short stints to straighten out our walk and to attract our attention causing us to adjust our attitude and actions. We need His directed discipline to develop Godliness within us, to humble us, to purge the dross of disobedience from our life and to perfect us into the image of His son.
Yet in these momentary manifestations of his displeasure, the Psalmist gives us hope. He declares that God’s anger is abbreviated, but His favor is forever. There will be times of discipline in our Christian walk, but His delight remains. We remain children loved by Him, never outside His loving care. We may fall under His anger, but we will never fall from His affection. We will at times encounter His judgement, but we will never escape his favor. We will fall out of fellowship with Him, but we will never fall out of His favor. Jesus secured and sealed it by his sinless life, sacrificial death and supernatural resurrection. Thus, we are forever in His favor.
We are reminded that the night of His wrath may seem long and unending, but the morning will come. Our night of weeping will end. When His night of chastisement concludes, cheers of joy will emerge with the dawning of the day. The distress of our night, will give way to the delight of the new day, the dawn dispelling the darkness, and His judgement replaced by joy.
So when you find yourself in His displeasure have hope that you have not departed from His favor. Yes, you have fallen into sin. He is punishing you, but not pushing you away. His hope is to sanctify you and to transform you into His likeness. See what He is trying to show you, recognize your error and repent. Then, let Him restore you. A new day will dawn, your broken fellowship will be renewed and your fractured relationship will be revitalized. Delight that the morning will come. The dark night of His displeasure will give way to the joy that His morning of mercy will bring. The dismal momentary night of weeping will be replaced by the dawn of morning joy.
Today thank Him for His mornings of mercy. Praise Him that His anger has a short wick and burns out quickly. Thank Him for His forever is favor. Thank Him for the delightful days that follow the nights of weeping. Praise Him for the dawn that breaks after those dark nights. Praise Him for the morning joys.
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