Psalm 30:1-5 (ESV)
A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.
I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
[2] O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
[3] O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
[4] Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
[5] For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning
[6] As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
[7] By your favor, O Lord,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
[8] To you, O Lord, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
[9] “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
[10] Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
[11] You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
[12] that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
It is not wrong to praise God for what He has done for us. Sometimes we get the impression from some Christians that it is never right to praise God for giving us things, answering our prayers or doing things far beyond what we have asked. This is not so. It is wrong to love the gift more than the Giver but it is certainly right to have an attitude of gratitude when God graciously gives us good things.
David thanks God in this Psalm for not letting his enemies win, for helping him, for healing him, for restoring his life. We have much to be thankful for and it is wrong not to express thanks to God for all His goodness.
But the Psalm does not end there. David makes it clear that the reason he asks God for life is so that he can praise God for His goodness to him. How can he sing the praises of God from the grave (verse 9)? Why do we ask God for what we ask for? Is it because we do not want the opportunity to attract attention to Him to end?
The reason we have life is to praise God. We are made for worship. When we do not worship we are acting contrary to our purpose for being here and that is never healthy for us or praising to God. Every sin, every act that we do that does not give God glory is a denial of why we are on the planet. It is to act in cross purposes to why we are here in the first place. We were created for His glory.
To live and not give God glory is an act of rebellion against the reason God put us here. It is no wonder so many people have such a sense of worthlessness. They are trying to fill their lives with purpose that goes counter to the purpose for which they were made in the first place. There are different ways to live for the praise of God’s glory. But there is no way to direct praise to Him while living in rebellion against Him. Love life, be thankful for all you have and know that the reason you have life and things to be thankful for is to deflect attention away from you up to the One who is responsible.
Recent Comments