Lifetime!

Lifetime!

For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 AMPC

A few things are quite important in the verse under consideration here, and the first is that God is perpetually angry at sin. Let no man be deceived: God can and will never condone sin. It does not matter who you are or what you become in God's hand; sin will be a man's downfall if He does not repent and return to God. When I look at the price that God paid for sin, which was the life of his own Son, Jesus, I realise now that if I reject the gift of his Son, then there is really no other hope for me. If I reject the One who could take God's anger away permanently, who or what else will make atonement for my sin? Let it be once more settled: God hates sin, even though he loves the sinner, and would that the sinner turn to Him and be saved. 

The second thing is the proper response to my understanding of God's anger at sin? Where do I stand on the scale of things at the moment? Have I responded to the love of God by embracing his gift, Jesus? It is my response to this gift that unlocks the rest of the verse. I cannot access a favour that I have not accepted its source. I can claim all I want; the key is in the life of the Son, Jesus. He is the One who has paid the price for God's anger, by dying on the cross. He has given me the power to access all that He is. In that access is life; the real version, not the fake one that the world celebrates and promotes. The world will have me believe that life is about possessions, power, position, privilege or prestige, but it is first about the presence of God. Once that is in place, the rest have the right context and foundation. If I don't have the presence, every other thing I have is a waste of time. 

David, who wrote this psalm, knew who this God is. He had personal experience in dealing with both God's anger and favour, so he could sing and speak of both. I must note that God's anger may last a moment, but there is an eternal consequence to sin. There is also an eternal consequence to God's favour. I don't have to labour hard to get it; that is why it is called favour. If I earned it, pride will set in. If I could work for it, I will be entitled to it, but God has so done it that no one can earn it by works, but only by embracing the gift of his son. Where do I stand on this matter? Am I still in the darkness of sin, or have I taken steps towards the light of God's favour? A day of God's favour will more than make up for more than 5 years of weeping and darkness. 

Yes, weeping may seem to endure and persist; there could be problems which just refuse to go away or be resolved. There may be circumstances that seem beyond man's wisdom or manipulation, but God seems to be saying here: 'Just hold on'. No matter how long the night is, it will be followed by a morning of joy. The night may persist in darkness, and the storms and wind may rise, but God is saying: 'The  morning is coming'. There may be things in my life at the moment which seem resistant to change, or just seem to be stubborn, but God is saying: 'As long as your life is in my hands, I can guarantee you a good end'. With God, the morning will bring joy. I await the manifestation of God's favour in my life. What of you? God's time of favour is here.