Praying Through Every Season (5)

Joy in the Morning

Text: Psalm 30

Imagine you are on a ship before the age of radar and weather warning systems.

You sailed out from the harbor, the sun was shining… the breeze was perfect. The sea was spraying in your face and it was beautiful. But out of nowhere, a storm hits.

The crew drops the sails… battens down the hatches… and you’ve just got to ride out the storm.

It blows through the night tossing you, lightning striking all around you, torrential rain, but just before dawn, the sea calms, wind becomes a gentle breeze and then, the sun comes up over the horizon, and you can just see what’s left of the storm on the horizon.

—————————————

Now, can you think of moments like that in life?

After the job loss… finally get hired somewhere else… You are in remission… After the accident, you finally feel like life is steady again… The boss who created so much strife in your life is replaced…

The point is, life is better!

This is the season of life we’re in as we look to Psalm 30 for inspiration about how to pray in these moments.

———————————————

In our Psalms series for the past 4 weeks, we have been looking to the book of Psalms for inspiration about how to pray during the different seasons of life.

The first 2 weeks—How we pray when everything is as it should be

Second 2 weeks—How we pray in the dark valley when life has fallen apart .

And finally this week and next—How we pray when God has come through!

Begin by acknowledging God’s actions.

Psalm 30:1–3 “I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.”

Exalt - Praise, glorify, honor, extol - He is lifting up God! The enemies that were circling him did not triumph… And it was because of God’s direct intervention.

God restored his health… brought him up from the grave (Sheol-Place of the dead)… he was as good as dead!

Invite others to join in!

Psalm 30:4–5 “Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

David invites everyone to praise. He points to God in this moment because God has come through.

It’s important to share what God has done. Glorify him… Encourage others who may be going through difficulty

Night doesn’t last forever… morning will come… Joy will return.

Retell the inside story.

Psalm 30:6–10 “When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, “What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.””

There was an element of his own sin in this situation.

David had become prideful and arrogant… he thought he was unstoppable. But he is now acknowledging what he didn’t acknowledge in that moment… his success had come from God.

And when God turned away, he was shattered.

He cried out… begged for mercy… I’m going to die, and if I die, there will be one less voice to praise him.

God, I trusted in you… have mercy… help me.

The ball is in your court now.

Psalm 30:11–12 “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”

Tell the results!

God came through.

Mourning has been turned to dancing.

In Scripture, the typical expression of joy is dancing… and dancing is a whole body affair!

It’s normal for us too! When people are excited on a game show, they jump up and down. When we hear music we like, our body begins to groove… for me, it’s only when nobody is around because i’m not a very good dancer!

When something truly exciting has happened, we don’t just stand still! Everything is involved!

In Exodus 15, Miriam, the sister of Moses, grabs her tambourine and leads the people in a dance because they had been set free from Egyptian slavery.

In 2 Samuel 6, David dances with all of his might because the Ark of the covenant, AKA God’s throne chariot, is brought into Jerusalem. In other words, God is here!

The book of Psalms ends with Psalm 150 which is basically a call to strike up the band and dance!

Dancing doesn’t have to be a sensual, sexualized activity. It can and should simply be an expression of joy.