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Joy Comes in the Morning-Psalm 30 (Assisted Living Facility Sermon)

By Charlie Vensel | April 22, 2007

You know, right after my conversion, it seemed I could pray about anything, and within a few hours or days, the Lord would respond. I could pray for understanding about a particular passage and often times by the afternoon, something came on the Christian radio that explained that exact passage. I could pray about needing funds to finish my undergrad degree and the phone would ring a few hours later with someone who just felt led by the Lord to pay for my books and tuition that semester. I could pray about a problem at work and it would be resolved, often with little or no effort on my part. I often prayed for my children when they were sick and by bed-time, their fevers were gone. I prayed for friends and they were healed by the next morning. It was an amazing time, an electric time, and I was constantly in awe of God. It was laughable at times, I was so sure God was about to respond. You could say at that time God and I had a close relationship; he seemed so near and intimately involved in my life. I truly believe in miracles and God’s ability to change the circumstances at hand. The supernatural had become the norm for me. Whatever obstacle was in my path, the Lord would remove it through prayer almost immediately.

Over the next few years, that seemingly direct line to God began to wane. Or rather, the immediacy of the responses and seemingly the level of involvement in the mundane seemed to dissipate. Of course, I was confused wondering if God had left me or if I had done something to leave God. I was hurt over this. However, over time, I began to mature and I came to understand that God has a way of teaching his people through trials.

I read a great book once, The Dark Night of the Soul, by St. John of the Cross. That book articulated better what I came to understand about these things in my soul. Often, the Lord pays special attention to his new converts in order to grant them the assurance of his presence in their lives. The early days are easy and this is an act of mercy on the Lord’s part to strengthen our faith. But over time, the method of the Lord’s immediacy in our lives changes.

As a positive, when the Lord is sure we will stand on our own by faith, he leads us through trials to strengthen us. It is not that the Lord has departed, it is just that he has something to teach us; in fact, he is just as near, if not more so. Often, as St. John of the Cross says, this is the dark night of the soul; it surely was for me. We question our faith, we question God and we question our strength. But on the other side, we own our faith much better; we are stronger. We are no longer babes drinking from bottles, but eating solid food. We are going through the rite of passage to call ourselves Christians; we are indoctrinated into suffering and a deeper faith is born through prayer. God does not leave us, he changes us.

On the other hand, there are times when we are so confident in our ability to stand, we think we so faithful and we think we so invincible, that we begin to think that we are more than we are. We say things like, “Whatever you call me to Lord, I will do,” or “I’ll go and die for you.” We begin to think we have got it all under control, that we are in charge; that we are God’s man or woman of the hour. It is in these times trouble comes to break us, to make us meek, to remind us of the Lord and cause us to repent of our arrogance and pride. In the end, this turns out to be a positive too, for those who are truly his. It is discipline, and such discipline insures us that we are God’s children.

In any event, trials to strengthen us or trials to humble us, the Lord causes us to pray. And it is this prayer that the Lord so savors; a broken and contrite heart is a pleasing aroma to our God. They are humble prayers that see God on his throne in charge of all and ourselves as but dust. He cherishes these prayers, when we have finally come to realize that there is no other place to turn. These are the prayers that affect change; these are the prayers God loves to answer.

We turn to our text this morning, Psalm 30, and we see that King David is in trouble once again and cries out in prayer to the Lord and he is delivered. Let us look at this psalm to see what we might learn about God, prayer, and deliverance from our sufferings. We have a God who loves to answer the prayers of the broken, so we can cry out for mercy when we face difficulty; “…weeping may last for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5 NIV) In light of this thought, there are three things I would like for us to see in this psalm this morning.

The first thing I would like for us to see is found in verses 1-3, and that is because God answers prayer, we should praise him. While we do not have record of David’s prayer here in the psalm, we know that he has prayed diligently to the Lord for deliverance and the Lord has responded. David exclaims,

“I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.”
(Psalms 30:1-3 NIV)

Now, most commentators refer to this passage as David praying for, and receiving, a physical healing. Indeed, that is what the Hebrew conveys. The word “pit” here that we see refers to Sheol. This is not a reference to hell, but to the realm of the dead, or death, often described as a muddy pit. And, when David says he was lifted out, this it the type of imagery used for drawing water out of a well. So, we can conclude David was near death, perhaps so close to death that only a miraculous intervention of God would save him. God had reached down into the near death experience and drew him out of it.

We should take note that David did not praise the doctors, he did not do anything here but praise the one whom he knew was responsible for his deliverance. He praises God for answering his prayer.

So the question I have for us this morning is this, “Do we give thanks and praise to the Lord for answered prayers?” You know, in the 21st century, we have some amazing technology. According to the scientists and philosophers, this is the age of reason, the age of man…we have so triumphed over the earth that we often forget about God. We trust in medicine, we trust in doctors, we trust in scientists and machines. Often it is only when those things are not working to our satisfaction, or against all their intended purposes, that we turn to God. It is as though we have come to believe, “when all else fails, try God.”

But let it be said this morning, that it is God who has given us this marvelous technology. It is his mercy that has allowed so many to live such long lives, to make our lives more comfortable, to make things easier. Think of the medicine just fifty years ago, when people died of things we can prevent by antibiotics today. It truly is amazing, yet we must not forget it comes from God. And, as the Lord who gave it, he is also the Lord who governs it. So, if any are tempted to pray to God when all else fails-as the last resort, try praying as the first step, asking the Lord to govern and manage these things, praying like David, not trusting in men or marvel, but in God alone to work both through and above these technological wonders.

No doubt some of you here today have had close calls with death. And, no doubt you prayed in your infirmity. But, have you praised God for the mercy he gave you in providing another day. Have you praised God for the medicine you had this morning? Have you praised God for the food you are going to have today at lunch? Brothers and sisters, I am certain that these things are answers to your prayers. And, while I am also certain many of these things are not to your liking, I am certain that this is what the Lord has provided for you to keep you going. Therefore, let us not despise the Lord’s provision, but praise him for it.

Our second point this morning is found in verses 4-5 and that is because God answers prayer, we should encourage others to praise him. We read,

“Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:4-5 NIV)

Right after David realizes that it is God who preserved his life and no other, we see that he is inspired to tell others to praise him too. I think there are two points here worth exploring.

First, praise cannot be contained. If we truly have a spirit of praise, and indeed that is what God would desire of us, we will shout the Lord’s fame in all the earth. When we don’t, I think the difference is between knowing and believing. For example, there are many things I know about the Faith having gone to seminary; I have passed all of my exams and most of them with very high marks. However, how I live and react to life’s challenges tells me more about what I truly believe than what I truly know. We always live what we truly believe. It is one thing to say that the Lord is responsible for all things, and remember nothing happens without his permission, yet it is another thing to believe that and live accordingly. Can we praise God for being here today? Can we praise God for our life, for our care, and for another day to bear witness to his mighty work of salvation? If the answer is, “no,” you have only agreed that we should, not believed that we should. It is my prayer for you this morning that you would be lights in this place, that you would sing God’s praise in these halls and that you would recognize the divine presence in the midst of your difficulties; and I know they are many; I am not making light of them. Please hear this though, for I know this to be the case: God has not left you; he is just not through with you! He is making you over into the image of his son. We are clay, being molded until the last day, and sometimes that process is painful, but it is his process and for his glory and yours. I know your lives are difficult here, but they are praiseworthy nonetheless. And when one sees you praising God in the midst of this difficulty, do not for a minute think that has no effect. Your praises in this place are likely to affect generations of people to come. One unbelieving servant here goes home to ponder your situation and can only conclude that is indeed God who has given you such a gracious spirit in the midst of such difficulty, she believes, she tells her family, they believe, four grandchildren grow up to be preachers and two go to Indonesia and convert thousands of Muslims. Do you not think this is how God works? Do you not think you are still powerful witnesses for Christ in these walls? God as my witness, you are!

Second, David writes that God’s, “anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5 NIV).

David has here learned a lesson. You see, in this case, David’s affliction was chastisement. For what, we do not know, for the Scriptures do not say. It could have been for a number of things that the Scriptures record elsewhere, but we cannot say here. Nonetheless, God used this illness to remind David who is in charge. We’ll cover more of that in a minute, but for now, I want us to see that, “weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Actually, in the Hebrew, this “remaining for a night” is a phraseology that is used of a guest coming for an overnight visit; it is temporary, one expected to leave quickly, and just passing through. God, in his mercy, will not allow us to remain in any trial we cannot bear. If you do not believe me, I ask you how many trials you thought you could not bear but you have still found yourself here this morning. All trials pass and a time of blessing comes, often in the form of the mundane. We have all had bad years and good years, but mostly good years. In any event, one day, we will have the perpetual morning, the light of God will shine so bright that there is no need for the sun; no more tears, no more pain, no more trials, no more suffering. This life is but a blip on the radar screen of eternity, it is like a houseguest for a night who has to catch a plane at 4:00 AM the next morning. Indeed, joy will come and last forever.

The third thing I would like for us to see is found in verses 6-10 and that is, because God answers prayer, we should be humble. We read,

“When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.” (Psalms 30:6-10 NIV)

Earlier, we saw that God was angered at David, in fact that was the cause of his illness. Now, I’m not suggesting that God’s normal means of disciplining us is sickness, though it does appear here and we cannot rule it out, and therefore we should ask, if we have found ourselves ill, if God is angered at us. However, I think far more often than not, this is not the case, there could be many other reasons we would be allowed to be sick. First, we live in a fallen word where sickness is part of the curse of creation. Second, it is part of the aging process, which is still part of the curse. Third, God can do all kinds of things through our sickness. Let us not ever think God is so single-minded that our sickness is only about us. No, as God’s servants, he is free to use us in many ways. One example I have given you already, about the unbelieving servant here amazed that a person so riddled with illness an afflictions could be inspired to faith through its observance and become the matriarch of grandchildren that convert the South Pacific Muslim world. God is much bigger than us and as his servants, he can do many things through our afflictions without us even knowing. Let us not despise our afflictions, but pray God would use them to better us and his world.

But, let’s return back for a moment to David’s chastisement, and here I am not so concerned about his sickness as I am the reason for God’s anger. David tells is in verse 6 that he was proud and felt invincible. David began to think his success, and in this case, overcoming his enemies, establishing such a powerful kingdom…all of those things Americans are so apt to do. God sends him something to humble him and bring him low, to threaten everything David thought he had worked for, all to remind him that God is the one who is in charge over all of creation. Yes, it was David who rode into battle. Yes, it was David who held court and made rulings on behalf of the nation. Yes, it was David who did all the physical actions that made such a powerful kingdom. But, it was God who was behind it all. David had forgotten this and was puffed up with pride.

In 1912 the “unsinkable” Titanic was launched in Liverpool, England. So haughty was the hoopla surrounding the Titanic’s safety and structural integrity that it caused great anxiety in the heart of one God-fearing woman, whose family was unexpectedly transferred onto the gigantic liner for its maiden voyage. The woman was the mother of seven-year-old Eva Hart, who recalls that her family was saved from tragedy because of Mrs. Hart’s spiritual convictions. Throughout the voyage, Mrs. Hart stayed awake at night waiting for disaster to strike, and thus was able to move her family to an upper deck almost immediately after the ship collided with an unseen iceberg. Because of her vigilance, the family did not join the 1,500 others who died that night. After reading the shipbuilders’ claims, Mrs. Hart believed–and so stated–”This is flying in the face of God!”

David thought he was unsinkable. Only when God had crushed David through the iceberg of affliction did David offer up prayer from a broken and contrite heart. He was penitent. He had to undergo a crash course in humility to regain a proper perspective; his unsinkable kingdom had to be in jeopardy for him to be reminded of God. However, herein is the fruit. Once David had that perspective, God heard his prayer. Brothers and sisters, James writes “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 NIV) A righteous man is not only one who obeys, but one who has a proper perspective on God and man. He knows that only God can save him, that only God controls all things, and that only God can change the circumstances at hand. Yes, he like David, may be busy working for change here on earth, or like you, keeping up with all your medications and doctors’ appointments, yet he knows it is God who has the first and the last word. One who knows this is humble, is in awe of God, and has a spirit of praise and a spirit of prayer. God loves the prayer of a humble and righteous person. If it takes affliction to get us there, God, in his providence, is right and just to allow it to come our way. It is for his glory and ours. He loves us too much to allow us to worship ourselves.

Brothers and sisters, most of you have been Christians longer than I have been alive. Most of you have seen miracles; some of you have experienced them in your own lives, but all of you are still here because God has seen fit to provide you another day. I know that many of these days are difficult. However, my prayer for you this morning is that this difficulty would produce both heart-felt praise and transformation of your being. That the rocks would not have to praise God because you do.

I confess to you that I am often a pessimist. As a third-year seminarian, I often feel I am at the breaking point between the pressures of family, school, an elusive new job, and finances. There are not enough hours in a day and not enough money for a month. This is the hardest time I have ever experienced in my 40 years. If I did not know better, I would curse God. I know many of you are thinking that same thing, and some of you are saying, “Wait until you are eighty.” Nevertheless, God did not create us to be pessimists, nor did he create us to be naïve optimists. He created us to be realists. The reality of this life is revealed in the Scriptures, and testified by the faith of the saints. As foreign as it may sound, it is nonetheless the word of God, when we read in Romans 8:28, “…that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)? “All things” includes our trials and afflictions. He is using them for our good, and for that, he is to be praised. James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,” (James 1:2 NIV)? The joy James is talking about is that of knowing that God is with us, but knowing he is not through working on us, and that through our trials, he often works on others.

Know this, you will have more trials, both because this is a fallen world and there is no escape from suffering until Christ returns or we go to be with the Lord. Trials are not the absence of God, but the assurance of Christ’s presence with us. Trials will come and go, and come again, but as David says, “…his favor lasts a lifetime” (Psalms 30:5 NIV). Our response to difficulty should be one of humble prayer and praise, sweet sounds in His ears, for God is moving indeed. He is changing us and others through us, he is molding his clay into the image of his Son. So, we are left with a decision when difficulty comes. Shall we take Job’s wife’s advice, “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9 NIV), or James’ advice, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,” (James 1:2 NIV)?

I pray for all of us, that it would be James’ advice. Yes, there will be more trials, but let us remember we have a God who loves to answer the prayers of the broken, so we can cry out for mercy when we face difficulty. But know this too, that one day when we are before the Lord, we, like David in verses 11-12, will be saying,“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.” (Psalms 30:11-12 NIV) And give him thanks forever, we will do. In the words of John, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 NIV) Amen.

Topics: Psalms |

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