Joy Comes in the Morning


Psalm 30
A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.
1I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
3O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.
5For 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.
6As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
7By Your favor, O Lord, You made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face; I was dismayed.
8To 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?
10Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”
11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!

It would have been nice if King David had put a date these psalms. This one is labeled as “A song at the dedication of the temple.” That at least tells us that this particular psalm was written toward the end of David’s life, as he doesn’t actually get to be a part of the building of the Temple. That work is left to his son and successor, King Solomon. So we know that this psalm was written in anticipation of what was coming. The tenor of the psalm is generally positive. While David acknowledges that there have been struggles he always returns to giving glory and praise to God for the inherent goodness He finds at God’s feet. There is also recognition that death is not far from him and he doesn’t really embrace that yet. He’s still got praise left in his heart and he wants to express that as well.

When I first read through this psalm I only saw the negative words. But in subsequent readings I have to admit that the overall tenor of the psalm is positive and joyous. David clearly sees God’s triumph in everything. His expressions of faith and trust are loud and clear. That’s admirable at the end of a life, to look back and realize that God has been in each and every moment. I admit that sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the stuff of life and I lose sight of God’s all-powerful nature. I occasionally allow worries and struggles to out-shout the fact that God isn’t worried and He’s got all of it in His hands.

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