Psalm 30 (NRSV)
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Verse 1I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
Verse 2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
Verse 3O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Verse 4Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
Verse 5For 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.
Verse 6As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."
Verse 7By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
Verse 8To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication:
Verse 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?
Verse 10Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!"
Verse 11You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Verse 12so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Devotion
God is present in times of joy and sorrow. Psalm 30 reminds us that when we experience sadness, we know God will be with us throughout our hard times. It also connects with
us when we put our lives in God's hands and God guides us with love and kindness. God shows us how to turn the negative into a positive. The psalms are a collection of praises and cries for help. How strange for teenagers who often care so much about their clothing to see how God clothes us: "You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." God clothes us with joy, because "God's favor lasts a lifetime." What a promise!
Jesus is bringing us together at the National Youth Gathering to teach us how we can
get through hard times and days. It shows that Jesus will be with us no matter what we are going through in our lives.
(Reflections by Ashlyn Bishop and Morgan Dannen, 10th grade, Central High School, Aberdeen, S.D.)
Prayer
Dear God, help us to teach others that people are there to help us get through hard
times. Give us the strength to be thankful and praise you in all times and circumstances. Amen.