Have you ever felt like God had hidden Himself from you? Like God had forgotten you? I have my days when I look around and wonder if God is listening to my cries for help. In Psalm 30 David pours out his heart to God about his dismay when he felt God was hiding His face from him.
Structure
Psalm 30 is primary written as a prayer to God, but it does include two verses addressed to the people about God. These verses conclude section 1 of the psalm and help highlight the beginning of section 2.
The central theme is found in verse 7 where David says declares that God's favor has made him strong. When God favor is upon him, David knows he cannot be moved, but when God's favor is removed, he is dismayed.
God's covenant name, YHWH, is used 9 times in 12 verses which is a relatively high usage but not unusual considering it is a prayer.
I Will Exalt You
Psalm 30:1-3
The psalm begins on a high note as David praises God for his deliverance. As we will see in the 3rd section of the psalm, David had felt deserted by God, but now he is rejoicing. God had heard his cry and saved him - literally pulled him up from Sheol.
O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
Sing to the Lord
Psalm 30:4-5
This is the only section that is address to the people. All the rest of the psalm is a prayer to God.
David turns to his listeners and encourages them to sing to God. Why should they sing? Because God's anger is short and his favor is long.
For His anger lasts only a moment,
but His favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may spend the night,
but there is joy in the morning.
David may have felt rejected by God and even punished by God, but God's favor and forgiveness is even greater than His anger. Are you feeling rejected by God? Remember, if you call out to God, joy is coming.
Dismay
Psalm 30:6-7
Finally we come to a description of Davids troubles. He had felt secure in God. David thought he could never be shaken.
And then God removed His favor.
when You hid Your face, I was terrified.
This is one of the hardest situations to handle: when you feel secure in God and then everything falls apart. Maybe you sinned or maybe you don't even know why. But one moment you are joyfully serving God and the next you are overwhelmed by troubles. How did David handle this?
Will the Dust Praise You?
Psalm 30:8-10
David handled his troubles by going to God. In this section you can hear his prayer for deliverance. He cries out for mercy and promises to praise God if delivered. He even reminds God that no one will hear his praises if he dies.
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
What should we do if we feel rejected by God? Go back to God and seek His mercy and deliverance. Don't run from God. Run to Him!
I Will Give Thanks to You Forever!
Psalm 30:11-12
The result of David's prayer for mercy is ...
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy
God hears our prayers even when we feel alone and separated from Him. He is always there and He will respond to your needs.
Application
Let's be like David and rejoice in God mercy and always turn to Him for help. There are times in life when we may not feel like calling to God. But it is precisely in those times that we most need to persist in prayer and faith. God hears and God answers!
This post is part of a series on the Psalms.
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory