Mourning into Dancing

More Thoughts from Psalm 30:1-12. Mourning into Dancing. David says that he will extol God, and he encourages everyone to praise God. Next, he writes these words.

“6 Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I will never be moved.’ 7 O LORD, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; Thou didst hide Thy face, I was dismayed. 8 To Thee, O LORD, I called, And to the Lord I made supplication: 9 ‘What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise Thee? Will it declare Thy faithfulness?’ (verses 6-9).”

David now recalls his history. He had experienced much prosperity. No doubt this prosperity included good health, material well-being, power, and the glory of being the King. During these times, it was easy to say, “I will never be moved.” David thought he was secure. Even though he lived in a constantly changing world which was filled with danger, he did not consider himself susceptible.

Very often, times of prosperity are dangerous moments. We can begin to give ourselves too much of the credit. With our vision obscured, we can overlook the source of our strength. Apparently, this happened to David. He does not confess much, but we can read between the lines, identify with him, and understand.

When David experienced difficulty, he was dismayed. When this happens to us, the “why” questions plague us. Sometimes God seems hidden to us. Isaiah (45:14) declared: “Truly thou are a God who hides Himself.”  Then, not content to leave the matter there, Isaiah went on to say, “O God of Israel, Savior!” Even in the dark moments, let’s keep in focus that Christ is our Savior.

Fortunately, adversity drove David to God. Rhetorically, David argues that the kingdom would gain more by his health and life than by his sickness and death. He felt he still had service to render, and through his death that service would be lost. The answer, however, was not David’s to give. Only God could answer his question. Thus, it often is with us. We have our questions but must wait for God to reveal His will.