Psalms 30:1-12
1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 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.
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his angera endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6 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.
8 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.
11 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 for ever.
“Joy Cometh in the Morning”
This psalm dates from 2 Samuel 5:11. What a contrast between Adullam's cave and the house of cedar! When God has lifted us up in mercy, we should lift Him up in song.
Apparently David had been passing through a time of sickness or intense sorrow, and now he could not be thankful enough for God's redeeming mercy. When shall we realize that God both forgives sin and redeems us from its eternal consequences! Weeping is here personified; she is only a lodger, who tarries for the brief Eastern night, and then, veiled, glides out of the house at daybreak. With the first ray of light Joy comes to abide, and we hear His hearty salutation in the vestibule.
We need more of the joy of the Lord. The first touch of pain makes us cry, Psalms 30:8; but we are slow to put on and wear the girdle and the garments of gladness. Be of good cheer, sad friend; God will yet turn “the shadow of death into the morning!”