#DailyDevotions Tough Times? Did You Turn To A False god?
Psalm 30 5His anger lasts for only a moment, but His favor lasts for a lifetime. Weeping may last for a night, but there’s happy shouting in the morning.
When God directs His anger towards you it is not to make you perish but to bring you to repentance. It is usually short-lived, namely because in these cases it is the direct result of some sin we have committed. It is directly related to it and we can see it. When we see it, we realize what we have done and cease to do it (for now). Oftentimes when things are bad we do think it is because of some sin we have committed but if the trouble we are having can’t be clearly seen as a result of what we have done, it is not His anger but a cross that has been laid upon us to purify and strengthen our faith. In David’s case here, he did not handle his son Absalom well and it resulted in Absalom’s rebellion and eventual death.
How often have we spent sleepless nights worried about something but only to find out it was resolved in the morning. Ok, sometimes it may take a little longer than that. But oftentimes we find out we had no reason to be so worried and have that sleepless night. Did we spend that time at least in prayer, handing things over to God to take care of it?
When we become God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus we enter into the LORD’s good favor. As we are baptized into the name of Jesus we become one with Jesus and our Father in heaven through the Holy Spirit. We become marked people. God’s favor is on us. He is going to do everything in His might to bring us into the pearly gates. He will not give up on us. Sometimes that may mean He brings His discipline upon us to prune us of our sinful, selfish selves and form us into the image of Jesus Christ. We indeed will shout out loud as the light of God the Father and the Son become our morning light in the New Jerusalem.
6When all was well with me, I thought, “I’ll never fail.”
Woops! In good times we think we have procured all this good by our own hand and God must surely love us. But this is setting up a false god. Our faith is in our success, not the God who gave it to us. If you start thinking this way, repent!
7O LORD, by Your kindness You made me like a mighty mountain. But when You hid Your face, I was terrified.
While David may have at one time thought he had accomplished all this good by himself, he realizes it was the LORD’s kindness that had made him like a mighty mountain. The LORD had to hide His face from David for a period to make him come to his senses. At times the LORD may bring you into a darkness of the soul because you have forgotten where your strength, joy, good times, and happiness come from. He may withdraw the hand of His favor to bring you to your senses. When this happens do not turn away from the LORD in anger but repent and turn back to the LORD Jesus Christ through whom all good things come to us. To turn from the LORD is to turn to sadness, misery and anger. If you turn back to the LORD and recognize who bestows upon you all good things in His kindness, you will know the LORD’s good presence. His face you will find will be shining on you.
Heavenly Father, do not withdraw Your face from us in anger, but continually keep us in the faith that always sees your kindness toward us. Should we fall, in Your grace restore us back to having faith in Your good pleasure. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.