SCRIPTURE: Psalm 30
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. [Psalm 30:5]
Its hard to have this big picture perspective when everything seems to be going against us.
David does not get to build the temple, yet he writes this psalm of faith, because he believes that God’s presence (symbolized by the temple) WILL be established one day. His own setbacks, his own failures, his own death cannot stand in its way.
Through this psalm, David is urging others to cling to the ‘resurrection’ hope (life after death, hope after grief, joy after sorrow).
He uses his own testimony to back this up [in Ps 30:8-10 he recalls a time of need, and how the Lord came through at that time].
His message, death and sorrow and struggle do not, will not have the last word; they will be short-lived, but God’s blessing will last forever!

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” [John 11:25-26]
Jesus urges Martha to cling to resurrection hope too.
Not even death (‘even though he dies’ … ‘will never die’) can overcome God’s forever joy and blessing.
Then the question, “Do you believe this?”
Remember, Lazarus is still dead at this moment, and he wants her to believe it BEFORE she sees it.

Can I, will I?
Will I, like David, trust that God’s presence and victory will be established on earth, even if I don’t see it, even if I die first?
This is a God-confidence that is greater than whatever comes against me… “Do you believe this?”
It’s a change in perspective.
We look at life now as the main thing, but this is just a brief prelude in the neverending story of God’s love, and our place in it.
Compared to eternity, our 50-90 years is nothing, a speck.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. [Psalm 30:5]

PRAYER:
Lord, my life is in Your hands, and that includes the neverending part of it, my forever future. I can endure the weeping, knowing that the rejoicing is still to come!