COMPLETE TURNAROUND
Opening Prayer
Thank You, God, for being with me now.
Read Psalm 30
Psalm 30[a]
A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple.[b] Of David.
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5 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.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you favored me,
you made my royal mountain[c] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Footnotes:
a Psalm 30:1 In Hebrew texts 30:1-12 is numbered 30:2-13.
b Psalm 30:1 Title: Or palace
c Psalm 30:7 That is, Mount Zion
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Think again of the God we saw in yesterday’s reading: powerful and glorious, loving and patient, present with his people.The heading to the psalm credits David as the author and indicates that it was used at the dedication of the Temple (although the Hebrew simply says the house). But it would certainly have been a fitting song to sing at the dedication. It celebrates God’s deliverance. David had been in trouble of some sort (1), in which he called to God for help (2,8,10). There is a hint in verse 5 that this was the result of some failure on his part. Look at verses 1 to 3 to see how he felt. That is not the end of the story. God is in the transformation business. Judgment flows from God’s holy character but he delights to show favor and love; these are the things that last (5).
In the tough times—whether we feel that they are the consequence of our sin and failure, or whether they are just stuff that happens—we have a choice. We can complain and be dragged down, or we can come to God believing that he can turn things around. Look back over the psalm. What do you see that encourages you to trust God?
Apply
What do you long for God to change? Have you been struggling on your own to make life changes? Give it to God today and trust him to keep you.
Closing prayer
Pray about these things now, encouraged by this psalm to believe that God can and will act.
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