Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 30
30:1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
30:2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
30:3 O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
30:4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
30:5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
30:6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
30:7 By your favor, O LORD, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
30:8 To you, O LORD, I cried, and to the LORD I made supplication:
30:9 “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?
30:10 Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my helper!”
30:11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
30:12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Reflections
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
This Psalmist had truly encountered the Lord. I once told a story to a friend about a time when the Lord also healed me. It was right was I was exploring Christianity and I had a healing experience with an injury that was about a year and a half old. After praying and pleading with God to heal me I got what I asked for. The very next day I was back to normal; as soon as I woke up. But these stories are great usually for the one IN the story, not the one listening. My friend was not convinced. Most people do not feel as though they truly encounter the Lord until something happens to them, not to others.
Thus, I would encourage anyone who wants to encounter the Lord to simply seek Him. Seek Him and ask him and you will find Him. If you earnestly chase after God, He will make Himself known to you. It’s been 16 years now since I first sought Him and since then He’s worked powerfully in my life many times. I know He will for you also.
I love the second part of verse five when it says “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” There is always hope on the other side of whatever struggle or had situation that we face. The Psalmist does not shy away from life being hard and trials that can cause us to feel weak and broken. However, the Psalmist does point out that there is always victory on the other side to those who turn to God and put their full trust in Him.
I was talking to a friend the other day and she was saying how there is no true believer that is immune to trial. We are not exempt from going through difficult situations. We live in a fallen world and therefore we have to experience the result of that. The difference is that as Christians, we live under the constant and loving care of our heavenly Father who will carry us through what feels like an endless struggle. Another friend said to me ” I would not be able to face my marriage struggle if I didn’t know there was God who was Sovereign and in control of my situation.” Our hope rests not on the change in circumstance, but in God’s unwavering faithfulness in our lives.
Lord you are my God
I rely on You
I put my hope in things not seen
Your promises all true
Always you’re with me
Your hand will lift me
My trust is in your hands
Lyrics by: Hillsongs
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