Prosperity, Pit, And Praise

Collectively, we used to take a lot of things for granted.

The prosperity of the global economy, our health, all kinds of options for entertainment - movies, sporting events, concerts and travel. And then it suddenly stopped. Friends and family were in a battle for their health, the news centered around death counts and stories of fights breaking out over toilet paper. We felt like we’d fallen in a pit of negativity. In Psalm 30, David was recalling a pit he found himself in. Verse 6-7:

When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm, but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

- Psalm 30:6-7

David, with God’s help, had won many battles. Things were good and he was prospering. But then, he became arrogant. (Remember Bathsheba, bad parenting with Absalom and repercussions that followed, and taking a census when God didn’t tell him to.) Oh David! Except, like David, we feel like we’ll never be shaken! It’s easy to become overconfident. Only to find that everything we idolize can crumble in an instant! It’s in the pit that lament becomes our cry!

But this isn’t a Psalm of Lament, it’s a Psalm of Praise! Verses 1-5:

I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let me enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning!

- Psalm 30:1-5

God lifted David out of the depths! The imagery expresses our human experience. It’s not just a global pandemic, but the day to day living life this side of eternity. The cancer diagnosis, heart attack, job loss, divorce, car accident, house fire. The depths of destruction, darkness, and decay.

David called to God for help, and He healed him! Verses 8-12:

To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy; “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.”

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord, my God, I will praise you forever!

- Psalm 30:8-12

I love that picture, don’t you? Wailing into dancing! Jesus says in Matthew 13:44-46:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

- Matthew 13:44-46

When we seek the kingdom of God above anything else, no matter what we face, we’ll be able to dance! Alan Redpath says, “Before we can pray, ‘Lord, Thy Kingdom come’, we must be willing to pray, ‘My Kingdom go.’”

Pastor Pam

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