We saw last week the anxiety that David felt and his desire to run away. At the end of the day though, he did not run away, he ran to God for his refuge.
God reigns
As David looks at his troubles, he reminds himself that God has not given up His sovereignty. God rules and reigns over all of creation. He does not turn away from the problems of this world; God is sovereign over them. God is using all of these things to test men.
We can easily conceive of ourselves as other than what we are. It is only testing that reveals the truth. I may consider myself a math genius, but I am not a math genius if I fail a basic math test. The testing reveals who I really am. Who I really am comes out when I am put under pressure.
The righteous are tested
As Christians we will face testing. God will put our faith through the fire. We will have many difficulties and trials. The positive of this is that this is simply God refining us and conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. All of our trials in this life is the worst thing we have to face.
The wicked are punished
The wicked, however, face something far worse. Not only will they be tried, but they will also be punished. God punishes the wicked not just in this life but for all eternity. The good days of this life are the best that the wicked will ever see.
The cup
Throughout Scripture, the cup is a representation of the final blessing or curse. David’s cup runs over when he abides in the house of the Lord forever. The cup is also used to describe God’s final judgment on the wicked as it is used here. The picture here is this. Every sin we commit merits the wrath of God. Like a drop of wine poured into a glass, our evils have filled our cup to the brim. When we stand before God and be judged, we will have to drink the cup and face eternity in hell.
Herein is the good news. Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath on behalf of those who believe in Him! We have no wrath to fear because Jesus bore the wrath of God for us. All that remains is the cup of blessings poured out for the righteous deeds of Jesus Christ. This is ours to drink for all eternity because of God’s grace in the person of Jesus.
God’s face is towards the upright
Just as the turning away from someone is seen as a sign of disapproval, so looking at someone is seen as a sign of delight. The way that a parent stares into the face of their newborn child, so God looks lovingly at His own. Just as a child can run to their father, so we too can run to God the Father because of Jesus.
Application:
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What has the times of testing revealed about who you really are?
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Are you running to Jesus or away from Him?
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Do you see God’s smiling face even in the midst of your trials?
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