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
You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Here the psalmist testifies to the work of God in the midst of a human life. Although struggles and pain are part of reality for all of us, God listens and answers our cries for help. Because of what God has done, the psalmist will praise God's name forever.
Often, I find myself bringing prayers to God and asking for help amid sorrow and hurt. Like the psalmist, I know that in my time of need, God will answer and provide for a new day. This proclamation of thanksgiving and praise to God reminds us that our Provider is present in our times of struggle. Praise be to God for the goodness provided in the midst of pain!
Prayer
O Lord, we cry to you in our time of need! Help us turn to you so that our mourning might be transformed into dancing with the light of day. Amen.