When I Wake Up
Scripture Reading: Genesis 43-44; Matthew 13; Psalm 17
“Men of the world whose portion is in this life…As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” (Psalm 17:14–15)
Psalm 17, a heartfelt prayer of David, carries a profound eschatological hope—one that points beyond his immediate circumstances to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises in the gospel of Jesus Christ. While this psalm was first a prayer for David and the Old Testament saints, it also prefigures the eternal hope that believers have through Christ.
David contrasts two kinds of people: "men of the world" and those who belong to God. The former are satisfied with treasures and accomplishments in this life, which are fleeting and temporal. They may find joy in their children, their wealth, and their achievements, but their portion is limited to this life alone. David’s perspective is entirely different. While he undoubtedly cherished the blessings of this life, his ultimate satisfaction lay in something far greater—something eternal.
For David, the grave was not the end but a threshold. He looked forward to beholding God’s face in righteousness and awakening in His likeness. The imagery of "awakening" foreshadows the New Testament’s frequent description of death as sleep (e.g., John 11:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:14). It is not a final state but a temporary pause before the resurrection. David’s hope was grounded in the certainty that he would awake and see God, transformed into His likeness.
This anticipation of transformation is echoed in the New Testament. In 1 John 3:2, we read:
"Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."
John’s words confirm the eschatological vision of Psalm 17:15. The ultimate satisfaction for the believer will come when we are awakened from the sleep of death, behold Christ in all His glory, and are made like Him. This is the culmination of our redemption—the moment when our struggles, sins, and limitations fall away, and we experience the fullness of life in Him.
Imagine that moment: to awake and see Him face to face, to be transformed into His likeness, and to be fully satisfied in His presence forever. It is a hope so glorious that the treasures of this world pale in comparison.
David’s prayer reminds us where our true portion lies. As believers, our lives are not defined by what we gain or accomplish here but by the promise of resurrection and eternal fellowship with our Savior. When we "awake to sleep no more," we will experience the greatest joy in all of history—the joy of seeing Christ and being like Him, forever.
