What can we say when we appeal to God for help? Many of us read the Psalm looking for words that comfort us, forgetting that it is also the teaching, reproving, correcting, and training word of God. The psalms can teach us how to appeal to God. Let’s read this psalm today with the intention to learn how to appeal to God.
Commentary:
Psalm 30:1 David is certain of his reasons of why he can exalt the Lord. He has experienced the lifting of God. Specifically, God rescued him from the grip of his enemies.
Psalm 30:3. Before Jesus, Sheol is place where all the dead goes. Soul is the life of a person. The flesh of a person dies, but the soul moves onto Sheol. In the Old Testament, some passages shows that the writers think that the soul possess no senses in Sheol. The words in verse 9 demonstrate that thought.
Psalm 30:4. In response to God’s rescue, the psalmist calls the people of God to praise and to thank God. He can give the call to them because he is their leader and because he trusts that they have experienced in similar ways.
The word “name” is zakar in Hebrew. It root means remembrance. What God has done should be in our remembrance and be given thanks.
Psalm 30:5. David thanks God because of God’s character. (The preposition “for” means “because of.”) Our Lord is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil” (Joe 2:13).
Psalm 30:6-7. David reveals his weakness and God’s discipline in these two verses. When times were going good, David became prideful and thought that he was secured. He forgot that it was God’s favor that made him strong. When God removed the protection and the blessings, David was discouraged and became fearful.
Psalm 30:8-9. In the face of discipline, David renewed his resolve to rely on God. He would call on God for help. He appealed to God that he had consistently praised God. His thankfulness in his walk became his appeal for God’s intervention.
Psalm 30:11. God heard David’s call and delivered him.
Meditation:
The psalmist David had a “Thank-God” list. In it, he put down what God had done for him and who God is. Each day, the list reminded him of the grace God bestowed upon him. God’s past provision gave David confidence that God would continue to provide.
For the same reasons that the list is important to David, the list is still important to all Christians today. We are the godly ones of God. God would protect us and help us. This is ever so true when we first believe in Christ. When we experience the rescue of God, whatever it may be, we ought to put it on our “Thank-God” list.
We should also put God’s character on the “Thank-God” list. Because of His covenant love, we get a lot of unmerited favors. Let’s move past just praising God for the things or the rescue He provided and put down on the “Thank-God” list for who He is.
Finally, let’s review the list daily, preferably in the morning. Then give praise and worship to God. God is worthy to be praised.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the teaching of the psalm. We ask that the Holy Ghost to lead us in putting down remembrance on the “Thank-God” list. We pray that we will praise you everyday. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.