Psalms 30:1

The Bible says in Psalms 30:1, “I will extol thee, O LORD, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.” In this verse David gives two reasons that he wanted to exalt the LORD. First, David said that God had “lifted” him up. David was the king of Israel. David knew that God had chosen him and had put him in that position. Every good thing that happens to you comes from God. The question is: do you exalt the name of the Lord for all that He has done for you? David was made king, and therefore, he had many enemies. But God took care of David. God kept David’s enemies from gaining an advantage over him. If you are on God’s side, you do not have to fear what man will do unto you.

The Bible says in Psalms 30:2-3, “O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. [3] O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” In verse two David states that God “healed” David. This passage is talking about spiritual healing. Verse three mentions his “soul.” How did David get healed? He said in verse two, “I cried unto thee.” David called out to God, and God responded and healed David’s soul. The biggest problems in the world are spiritual problems. Those problems are solved when people cry out to the Lord Jesus. It says in Romans 10:13, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The name of the Lord is Jesus. And so God gives us spiritual life in this way. He also gives us physical life. David states plainly in verse three, “thou hast kept me alive.” God is the giver of life and the taker of it. If you know Jesus, you do not need to fear death. Live life to the fullest by faith in the Lord, and do not fear anything. Your life has a purpose, and you will be here as long as God has a purpose for you. And then if you know Jesus as Savior, when you die, you will close your eyes for the last time and open them in heaven.

The Bible says in Psalms 30:4, “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” Christians should be the happiest people in the world. We have every reason to be happy if we are living by faith and are close to the Lord. Our sins are forgiven. We have eternal life because of Jesus. All the promises of the Bible are for our enjoyment and benefit. God loves us. We can do anything if it is God’s will. God has given to us His holiness. That is what David is talking about in this verse. He refers to the “saints.” All believers are saints. The word “saint” means “holy one.” Once you believe in Jesus and trust in Him as your Savior, God declares you to be holy. This is imputed righteousness. You do not earn it or gain it by your own works. God simply declares it to be so. It is the only way that you or I can be holy. Actually, Jesus gives us “his holiness.” Our sins are forgiven, and the good deeds that Jesus did are credited to our account. That is a lot to sing about. Learn some of the joyful songs of Christianity, and sing them in your heart throughout the day. One that I like goes like this, “Praise Him, praise Him, Jesus my Lord and my Savior. Hail Him, Hail Him: Prophet, and Priest, and King.” It says in Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”

The Bible says in Psalms 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Because God is holy, He is angry against sin, but He is also very merciful. You want to gain God’s favor, so that you will live forever. You gain His favor by believing on Jesus Christ. Here is a true principle of life: “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” We will have sorrows in this life, but God knows how to give joy. He will give joy because He is the God of joy and happiness. Of course, when you close your eyes for the last time and open them in heaven, you will have joy forever more. That will be the happiest morning of all.

The Bible says in Psalms 30:6-7, “And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.[7] LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.” David knew that every good thing that he had came from God. He knew that his “prosperity” came from God. If you know that truth, then certainly your prayer is that you might use your prosperity for God’s glory. David knew that he had God’s “favour.” God had blessed him. In the age in which we live, God’s favor comes when we put our trust in Jesus Christ. David was confident and happy when he was close to the Lord, and that is why he said that he “was troubled” when David lost that closeness. If you have ever walked close to Jesus, then you know that nothing will ever satisfy you like His precious spiritual fellowship. The way to stay in fellowship with the Lord Jesus is found in First John 1:9 that says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That is what David was talking about in the next several verses. He mentioned making “supplication” to the Lord and asking God for “mercy.” The Bible says in Psalms 30:8-10, “I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.[9] What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?[10] Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.” If God is displeased with you, and your sins are not confessed, one of the things that can happen is that you can be taken off this earth before your time. Why should Jesus leave you here longer if you are not going to serve Him? And so David makes an argument to God against dying early. David asks in verse 9, “Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?” David is saying that while he is alive on the earth that he will do two things that he will not be able to do if he is dead: praise God and spread the truth. When we praise God, we are showing our faith in Him, and we are showing that we are thankful for all that He has done and is doing for us. When we “declare” his truth, we are doing God’s work on earth as we talk to others. How will God’s truth be spread about Jesus the Savior unless we spread it? That is why Jesus said to His apostles, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

The Bible says in Psalms 30:11-12, “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;[12] To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.” When you find God’s mercy through faith in Christ, this is the result: “dancing,” “gladness,” singing (“sing praise”), and giving “thanks.” Sounds like someone with a happy life. How long will that great happiness last: “forever.”

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