by, Isam Itson III
Psalm 30
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have lifted me up
and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
2 Lord my God,
I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from Sheol;
you spared me from among those
going down to the Pit.
4 Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
and praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight,
but there is joy in the morning.
6 When I was secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you showed your favor,
you made me stand like a strong mountain;
when you hid your face, I was terrified.
8 Lord, I called to you;
I sought favor from my Lord:
9 “What gain is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my helper.”
11 You turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 so that I can sing to you and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
When things are going well in my life I am often fall into the trap that things will just keep going well. Like the writer of this song, this psalm, says in verse 6, When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Life will always be good.
But just like the writer, I get slapped back into the reality that difficult times do come. That I do suffer loss, grief, and disappointment. And I even despair of my life because I can’t see any way out of my trouble or heartache. I wrestle with the thought that I cannot bear to go on.
We experience ups and downs in life. Victories and tragedies. And our emotional responses go up and own as well. But when we start talking to God something incredible happens. Even before our circumstances change our mood starts to lift. Because when we talk to God we remember that we are not alone. We remember that God is with us. We remember that God is our helper and that he hears us. Like the writer says in verse 5, God’s favor lasts a lifetime.
God’s power, love, wisdom, and faithfulness is our hope. God will always help us honor his love for others and he will always walk with us through all of our dark times. That’s why weeping only endures for a night. Weeping is temporary. It only lasts as long as we are in the dark. But joy comes in the morning because in the morning God’s light returns and we can see again. We can see that all is not hopeless. We begin to discern God’s way for us to move forward. In the morning we remember that God has things for us to do and that it is time to get back to work.
God will handle the challenges that are too big for us. And God will help us fulfill the responsibilities that he has entrusted to us. God is our helper at all times and through all things. God’s favor lasts a lifetime.