Psalm 30 (NRSV)
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Verse 1I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
Verse 2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
Verse 3O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Verse 4Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
Verse 5For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Verse 6As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."
Verse 7By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
Verse 8To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication:
Verse 9"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Verse 10Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!"
Verse 11You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Verse 12so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Devotion
A good friend of mine just buried her second husband. She and George had nine wonderful years together, but he succumbed to prostate cancer. She told me once that she knew God could take away George’s cancer, just like he could have saved her first husband from his heart attack, but for some reason, God chose not to work a miracle in either of these two cases. It was hard for her to understand, but yet she felt at peace.
This Psalm has offered comfort to many who mourn, knowing that the grief of the moment will not overcome us. While there was no miracle cure for George, the real miracle is that he rests in the arms of the Lord and that there will be a celebration of reunions in the life everlasting. At one point, George asked if he had been good enough, and my friend responded that it wasn’t being good enough that mattered—it was being forgiven. She said a look of peace came over his face. That is the miracle! We grieve the loss of our loved ones, but we cling to the promises of God.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we ask your comfort for those who mourn. May your love and forgiveness be the balm of hope that heals. Amen.