SOAP 05/27/2015; Psalm 30:5

Today's reading: Psalm 30

S) "⁵ For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning."

Psalm 30:5 (NASB)

O) It is plain that David was using contrasting illustrations to point out the brevity of God's anger, compared to the longevity of His favor. I don't think anyone should mistakenly think this verse is literally saying that God's favor will be upon an individual for the entirety of their life. In a general sense, this might be true, but I don't think this is some kind of guarantee. I think we can simply look at the first line to realize that David was quite familiar with the fact that God's anger could last longer than a "moment," since he saw firsthand evidence of the LORD'S protracted anger against his predecessor, Saul. Now, in Christ Jesus, all things have new light. With the coming of Christ, mankind was favored. In Christ, we have favor with God. Outside of Christ, that's a different story. If I am in Christ for the length of my days, then I am favored, even if God is angry with me. After all, He will reprove those He loves. In te other illustration, we see another contrast between sorrow and joy. While some sorrows last longer than one night, and some joys are all night long, the principle is that God turns sorrow to joy.

A) Having said all that, there is still wisdom in knowing, that God can certainly change sorrow to joy, literally overnight. Sometimes, my perspective is woefully limited, but God can use physical sleep to my advantage. There is also the possibility that God will speak to me in a dream while I sleep, and how joyous would that be, amid sorrows? Our outlook does not always change overnight with God, but it isn't exactly uncommon, either. At the very least, I know the eternal promises I have in Christ. In the End, Jesus Christ will stand victorious. In Him, I may share eternal perfection and enjoy His perfect glory. If I can focus on that, even in the middle of a sorrow-filled night, I'm sure to wake up to joy eventually.

P) Father, Yoyr promises are so perfect. They can seem far off, to my limited view, but I know the truth of Scripture, which warns me how short life really is. Open my eyes to see Your promises, and my ears to hear Your words, that even in the most difficult sorrow, I will remember the joy I have in Christ. Be glorified in my sorrow-turned-joy. Thank You for the favor I have received. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.