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Psalm 30:1-7

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 favour lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6 When I felt secure, I said,
    ‘I shall never be shaken.’
7 Lord, when you favoured me,
    you made my royal mountain[c] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

Are you going through a challenging time in your life? Are you wondering if this will last forever?

According to our Psalm this Sunday, God’s favour lasts a lifetime (Ps. 30.5). This psalm, attributed to David, considered the greatest king of ancient Israel, shows David looking back on his life and being filled with thanks and praise. And he’d definitely been through challenging times. But he says of God, 

“for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.”

And when he called out for help, the Lord healed him (Ps. 30.2).

As The Message translation puts it:

"God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out."

David makes it clear that there were times when God was angry with him, and times when God turned His face from him for his adultery and murdering one of his most loyal friends. And yet, David looks back at his life and he is able to see that the seasons of challenge and suffering were swallowed up in a lifetime of God’s favour. 

This week, reflecting on this Psalm, I’m reminded that in Jesus suffering does not have the last word on us, God’s favour lasts a lifetime, and that God’s goodness and love are with us forever. This is true for me, and true for you. Thanks be to God.