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
The writer of this Psalm is asking for God's help. "Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; O LORD, be my helper." How do you need God's help today? During prayer time with our Wednesday after-school children's program, sitting in a circle on the floor, I asked the children how they need God's help. They had no trouble answering that question. They needed God's help getting along with their brothers or sisters, with their homework, and for Grandma when she is sick. I did an experiment with the church council, during prayer time before one of our meetings. I asked the council how they needed God's help in their lives this week. It was quiet for a few moments, before the first brave soul said, that it was hard to think about how she needed God's help. I found that it was much harder for the adults to ask God for help than it was for the children. What does that say about us if we don't seem to need God’s help? Do you need God's help today?
Prayer
O Lord, be my helper. I cannot on my own make sense out of life. I need your help today. Amen.