Read Psalm 30
A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you favored me,
you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Go Deeper
In Isaiah 55:8-9, the Prophet Isaiah writes, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The ways of the Lord are completely different from our ways. He operates in ways our brains can’t fathom.
We see this with great clarity in Psalm 30:5. David says the Lord’s anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime. We tend to operate in opposite ways. Our joy/compassion/empathy (fill in the blank with your emotion of choice) lasts for a moment, but our anger tends to linger on. When one of our kids does something great, we celebrate for a minute and then focus on the ways they fall short. We rejoice in the five compliments we get from our boss for a few moments, and then focus on the one critique. We forget the ways our Life Group members showed kindness, and instead dwell on all the ways they annoy us.
David writes as one who knows what it’s like to evoke the anger of the Lord. Even though he was a man after God’s own heart, the Lord is well-acquainted with all of his shortcomings. David was unfaithful, murdered an innocent man, passively led his family at times, and much more. Yet David can say with integrity that the ongoing favor of the Lord is much greater than His momentary anger.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we want to be the same way. We need to believe this Truth and live it out. Today, pray that God would help you believe Psalm 30:5, that the Lord is not angry with you, but shows you favor, not because of anything you have done, but because of the finished work of the Son. And then see how you can apply this principle in the way you love and lead others—momentary anger, ongoing joy.
Questions
- How do you tend to operate—as one with ongoing anger and momentary joy, or ongoing joy and momentary anger?
- It’s easy to focus on the mourning and sadness in life. How would your life look different if you believed that joy and dancing will come in the morning?
- Not a question but a challenge: Take a few moments to thank the Lord that He removed your sackcloth and replaced it with joy!
By the Way
Pastor David Guzik in his Enduring Word commentary has this note on verse 9:
“These words of King David sound strange to someone familiar with the New Testament. It seems very different from the triumphant confidence of Paul who said, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). David seemed to see no gain in death, and therefore he pleaded that God would preserve his life.”
5 responses to “Psalm 30”
5 weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Thank you God for the morning! Thank you that you turn my mourning into dancing!
Songs that are based on this Psalm:
Trading My Sorrows (Joy Comes in the Morning)
https://youtu.be/gHDix8HHWCg?si=qNZREN79HcWD-y7M
Mourning Into Dancing
https://youtu.be/G4_-_it3mYk?si=3FVlVElSOGtOOteV
❤ love both of those songs.
This was this past Sunday’s sermon. Why?
God gave us free will, that is why. We blame Him but it starts with man’s choice. God can and does turn the circumstances into dancing but we have to own our part.
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, 12 That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalms 30:11-12 NASB
“There is one final note that is worthy of our consideration. The pinnacle of all evil, the torture and murder of God’s Son Jesus, could have been viewed as the one terrifying event that “slipped through the hands” of the Father. However, as we know, it would be days later that God, by His infinite wisdom and mercy, used this appalling free-will response by human beings to usher in the greatest plan of redemption the world has ever seen. Much of humanity, including Satan, thought that God had lost control that afternoon when Jesus took His last breath. In actuality, God would use the ugliest murder in all of history to illuminate the greatest love story ever told. Christ rose victorious and with Him we will rise by faith to the eternal arms of our Father. By faith, we believe. By faith, let us act.” Brad Boles
God I want to thank You for loving me! God this was so encouraging to know, read and hear that when things are heavy You are with me and turn my mouring into dancing. My joy come with the morning. Because of Your son,Jesus and His resurrection I have the oppurtunity to be victorious. In this world I will have tribulation, I will have weeping, I will have mourning. But take heart,” Jesus said to His disciples, “I have overcome this world.” Now as I go through these minutes of this day, I need to speak of the goodness of You, God and how You always have good for me even in the middle of the not so good part. There is always something to be grateful, thankful and blessed about because You are God and no man can never, ever, no matter what, change that. God thank You that there can be temporary pain in this world and BUT GOD, You offer the joy of all eternity. In EVERY circumstance there is a reason to praise You. Thank You God for this day, these minutes that in these minutes praises are what come out of my mouth. Glory , honor and blessings to be thankful for in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!
“Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning” (v4-5).
I’m reminded of the faithful people God has placed around us to journey through life with. Our Life Group constantly grounds, supports, and challenges us to look to the Savior and remain hopeful in him. We treasure them as God’s favor and provision for this life.
vs. 5 “weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
The contrast of God’s anger is fleeting while His favor endures for a lifetime. This highlights God’s grace and mercy over judgement.