I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
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.
When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me, Lord be my help.”
You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
-Psalm 30
I came across this psalm during my devotional time this afternoon and wanted to share some thoughts that may be encouraging. To begin with, “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” was especially uplifting because there have been many times recently where I have felt as though I’ve disappointed God. You know what? I’m sure I’ve disappointed Him many more times than I’m even aware, but His anger is still so fleeting. He does get angry, but the anger hardly has time to exist while He envelopes us in His favor for the duration of our existence. We. Are. So. Loved.
Another portion of the psalm that struck me was the line that questioned whether the dust could praise God. We were created with a purpose that no other part of creation can achieve as fully and richly as human beings can. We can praise by singing, dancing, praying, and expressing our admiration for the Creator in a special way as He intended. If you question your purpose remember that without you, who would praise the Lord? We each have so much to offer even in the times where it feels like we are directionless. I also found the use of the word dust particularly fascinating as man was created from dust. This again proves the point that we were made from a part of God’s creation that lacked the capability to praise Him into a form that could. We were made to be unique.
The final section was equally, if not more encouraging. God can turn our difficulties into times of praise. Our lives are turbulent as we attempt to navigate this crazy world which means that challenges are inevitable. This in no way takes away from how hard it may be to see past certain situations or that there are times where something good seems impossible. Fortunately, those times do end and make the transition from wailing to dancing that much sweeter. My goal is to continue to praise even in the midst of the trouble. If you and I are created for a purpose, to praise God, then I should hope that my heart is never silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
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