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Psalm 30 (ESV)

¹ I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
² O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
³ O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

⁴ Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵ For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

⁶ As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
⁷ By your favor, O Lord,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, O Lord, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
⁹  “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”

¹¹ You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
¹² that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

REFLECTION:

1. David praised God here for a physical healing (v2). God also hears the cries of the penitent for mercy, and makes it possible for us to give God thanks forever (v12).  It gives us great comfort to know that God is one whose “anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime” (v5). Therefore, while “weeping may remain for a night,” we can be sure that “rejoicing comes in the morning” (v5).
2. David expresses some of the ups and downs of his life. Consider reflecting over the last six months to a year of your life and write down a list of your ups and downs. Picture the Lord with you through the ups and downs of your life. How does it help you to know God is with you?
3. Give thanks to God for the ways He has been a help to you in the hard places of your life.

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

HYMN:

Psalm 30 – www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g_rd0aE8iQ