“O Lord, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. And I – in righteousness will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.”
Psalm 17:14-15, NIV
It’s sometimes hard to see the success and apparent prosperity of people who have turned their backs on God, lived their lives in unrighteousness, and made their earthly achievements and material possessions their aim in life – especially when you are going through hard times yourself, as was often the case for David, who wrote the Psalm from which our Scripture for the day is taken. In just the previous verse he was crying out to God to rescue him from the wicked!
But even though David wrestled, as we all do, with these underlying injustices of the present life, there was something much deeper in David’s life which enabled him to be an overcomer, whatever the prevailing circumstances were like. In his heart he really knew what God was like. The nature and character of the God he loved and who loved him was so interwoven into David’s life experiences that he knew he would never be disappointed by God.
In verse 15, David turns his attention away from the present life, away from the fact that not only are those with evil intent in their hearts sinners, but we all are, and makes a remarkable prophetic declaration of faith, something that would only eventually become possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, his glorious resurrection and the fact that right now He has gone to prepare a place for you and me the redeemed of God (John 14:1-4). David, a man who openly confessed his own sin declared that “in righteousness” he would see the face of God. It is only with sins forgiven and the slate wiped clean that one day we will be clothed in righteousness divine. And in righteousness, we will see the face of God!
There are times in life when I’ve looked forward to something with great anticipation, but when it actually happened, the realisation was something of a disappointing let down. The little that David had experienced of God was such that he knew, in a way that was beyond human understanding, that when he saw God face to face, it would not be a disappointing let down – but that he would be satisfied – which means full to overflowing with the joy of the experience!
Sometimes people think of death as something to be feared – but to those who know and love the Lord, death has no sting (1 Corinthians 15:54-58). It is the gateway to the clothing room of Heaven – where we experience first-hand the righteousness of Christ and are clothed in righteousness to enter the holy presence of the living God! Human eye has not yet seen or experienced the glorious vision that will then be ours – but we do know that Jesus came to show us what the Father is like – and we can know for sure, therefore, that we will be overflowing with joy – yes, we will be satisfied, in fact more than satisfied – and we will never tire of the experience!
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that as a believer who knows Jesus, I will one day enter Heaven clothed in righteousness and that I will, never, never tire of enjoying being in the presence of God. Help me, Lord, to lift up my eyes from all the difficulties that surround me and focus my spiritual eyes on the realities that await me in glory! In Jesus’ name, Amen.