“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind; this shall be the portion of their cup.” Psalm 11:4-6.
“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven”, this phrase shows us God’s viewpoint in heaven, where due to His omniscience He sees everything. This tells us that God sees the believers and the ungodly and can judge righteously.
“His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous”, this is where these verses separate from each other. The Lord tests the righteous, meaning these are believers – Christians who go through fiery trials such as bankruptcy, theft, unemployment, and yes, floods and fire.
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:5b.
We are not alone, the Lord Jesus Christ suffered terribly for six hours on the cross, the worst during the last three hours when darkness descended, and Jesus took the wrath of God on Himself to pay for our sins.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2.
Consider also the prophet Job who lost everything including being covered with boils, see Job 1:12 and 2:1-10 to see his response to all these things.
These trials have a purpose. Just as a normal father would not punish his child for no reason at all, so God does not allow these things in our lives for no reason, trials come to create in us a Christ-like character.
When you come into unbearable trials force yourself to go into the throne room of God (Hebrews 4:15-16 below) and lay your burdens down before Him. Do this every day because our adversary the devil will accuse God our Father of doing the very things the devil is doing to us.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16.
“The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.” Psalm 11:5.
We have seen how the Lord tests the righteous. Then we see a change in God’s intent, “but the wicked and the one who loves violence”, these folks are not being tested, they are being punished.
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Psalm 9:17.
There is a time coming, and soon when all the wicked and the violent will receive their just deserts.
“For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red [God’s wrath]; it is fully mixed, and He pours it out; surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.” Psalm 75:8.
“Upon the wicked He will rain coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind; this shall be the portion of their cup.” Psalm 11:6.
Often, for the wicked the coals of fire and brimstone are the workings of conscience and the terrible circumstances they bring on their selves.
While the burning wind is like living in a dry desert which though the wicked believes this is as good as it gets, life is nothing more than a hot desert floor where the wind only increases the misery.
Then too often the coals, fire and brimstone fall on wicked people as they did on Sodom and Gomorrah, while the burning wind fans the fires of destruction.
However, God is not willing for any to perish, so even His most extreme disasters are to bring some unbelievers to Salvation in Jesus Christ.
“O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O Lord.” Psalm 83:13-16.
Disasters are meant to draw men to Jesus Christ, not just kill them.
However, time is short, soon the ungodly and all who ignore God’s call will perish.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6.
“When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever.” Psalm 92:7.
Fire, Fire, FIRE taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 1-12-25 ck.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.