Experience God!
[5] For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
David would know what he was talking about in the verse above. He was a man after God's own heart, as God so clearly put it, and we see how God favoured him and gave him an eternal kingship in Judah, following the split between the houses of Israel and Judah. We see how as a young shepherd boy, he took care of his father's sheep, and when lions or bears came after the sheep, he would kill them. He took the same mentality to Goliath, reminding the giant that the God he knew had no regard for height, skill or weapon size, but that all who feared God were certain of His help and support. The same David would be made king over his older brothers, and he would come to be known as the greatest king Israel had. Even the flag of the nation of Israel features the 'Star of David'. It would be nice to focus on this side of God, and His dealings with man, but as we know, the knowledge of God has to be balanced if it is to be right.
People celebrate the love of God but find it hard to also embrace His judgement. We claim we are drawn by His love, which is the fundamental reason why we are His children in the first place, but we are also impacted by the reality of His judgement, which lies at the end of the grace that brings salvation to all men. That grace teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously and Godly in this present world. It cannot be one or the other. We have to embrace both realities of who God is. He is definitely a God of love, with an infinite capacity to give us room to return to Him, but we have to also know that the door of mercy does not remain open forever. We do not know how long we have been given to sort out our allegiance, which is why we must pay attention to the things that God loves or hates so that we can always remain in His will.
This same David experienced both worlds. He saw God's love in its pure form, but he also experienced God's judgement in its refined form. Not sure anyone can survive the anger of God if it lasts for too long. When David did wrong, even his children were not spared, and they became willing instruments in the hand of God to punish David. However, God made it clear that even if David's sons rebel against God, He would indeed chasten them with the rod of men and the stripes of the children of men, but His mercy He will not take from David's house, as He took it from Saul, who died on the same day as his three sons, which included Jonathan, who was very close to David. Whatever the current experience is, remember that the love of God lasts longer than His wrath, but please do not take it for granted. Weeping may endure for a night, due to the pain of sin, but be reconciled to God before it is too late, so that in the morning, your joy can be full, and it may last forever. That is God's perfect will for us. Would we embrace and submit to Him? God's time of favour is here.
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