One of the things we should gather from this Table is a right grasp of the relationship between promise and trouble. God’s saints do go through troubles, but they are like a cloud that passes over the sun. Nonbelievers have their troubles as well, but theirs are like the pitch of night that is a type of the coming darkness, what the Lord called the outer darkness. That won’t be the kind of night that anyone can dance away.
So how can you rightly identify your troubles as a passing cloud, as a brief interruption of sunlight. You can tell by whether or not God has bound Himself with a promise first. Joseph spent some time in a jail in Egypt, but it was a passing cloud. Why? He had the promise first, in the dream that God had given him. David spent a good deal of time running from Saul, hiding in the wilderness. But that was a passing cloud as well — Samuel had anointed him first. Furthermore, Samuel had anointed David after being taught not to judge by appearances, a fact that David should have noted. He was going to be confronted with distracting appearances himself. But when you have the promises, ignore the passing cloud.
But what of you? What are your troubles? A passing cloud, or the darkness of night? If the darkness of night, then call on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. But for many of you, your troubles are a passing cloud — you have all God’s promises, gathered and summed up, here. Here is where God has bound Himself with a great oath. You have received the promise of that oath by evangelical faith if you know in your heart that His oath has gathered you up, and bound you in His love.
So then, come and welcome, to Jesus Christ.