Psalms 30:1

Psalms 30:1 says, A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.  This introduction is a little more specific, then verse one says, I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. David said God lifted him to victory over his foes.  David never bragged on himself, but always gave God the glory.  If we rely on God's strength and guidance, we will always be victorious over sin, and we must always give God the glory.  Verse two adds, O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.  David said when he cried to God, or earnestly prayed to Him, that God healed him.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, God has healed us forever, no matter what happens in this lifetime.  Verse three continues, 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.  David said that God had delivered his soul fom hell, and so does God deliver the soul of anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior from hell.  Verse four states, Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.  David calls on all saints, or those who believe in God, to sing to Him with  thanks as they remember His holiness. We as Christians are called saints of God, and we should continually give Him the thanks and remember His holiness.  Verse five adds, For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  David said that God's anger was brief but His favor brings life.  God is angry at our sin, but when we earn His favor through faith in Jesus Christ it lasts forever.  David said that things may look bad at night, but through faith joy comes in the morning.  Verse six says, And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.  David said that during his time of prosperity that he believed he would never be moved.  Matthew Henry says that David was self confident and not truly looking to God.  Often, in times of prosperity we become the same way.  Verse seven adds, LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.  David does give God credit for success, but then says that God hid His face from him.  I believe that the reason David felt this way was because he had stopped being in continual communication with God.  Sometimes, when we as Christians are being successful in life we can tend to forget about God and lose our continual communication with Him.  Verse eight continues, I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.  David said that he cried to God, I believe when his mountain, or success had been shaken.  We may not cry out to God when things are going well, but we are always quick to call out to Him in times of need.  Verse nine asks, What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?  David asked how his destruction could profit God and who would praise God and declare His truth if David was dead.  We may feel that we alone are proclaiming God's truth and that God would not profit from our death, but we are not alone in proclaiming God's word.  We need to be faithful to God no matter how much we may be shaken in the world, even if we lose our life doing so.  Verse ten declares, Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.  Like David, we need to ask for God to hear and have mercy on us, in times of prosperity as well as in times of trouble.  We will always be in need of God's help in this world.  God has already shown His mercy to everyone, but in order to claim that mercy we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  When we do, God through the Holy Spirit is always there to help us if we are following God's will.  Verse eleven adds, Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;  David said God had changed his mourning into dancing, put off his sackcloth of mourning, and wrapped him in gladness.  This is how we as followers of Christ should feel every day.  Verse twelve concludes, 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.  David said that he could not be silent in giving his praises to God, and neither should we be today.