Psalm 30- Verses 6 -10 (NLT Translation)
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, O LORD and have mercy on me.
Help me, O LORD.”
In the Psalms, David always writes openly about how he is feeling, presumably at the time of writing. The result is a record of the highs and lows of a man’s emotions, and shows us just how much like us David was. When things were going well, he felt totally secure, but when things were not, sometimes as a result of his own actions, he felt that he had lost the presence of God and the security that goes with it.
And that is exactly the same for us. When we feel all is well, we are certain that nothing will ever rock our faith. Then difficulties or trials cross our path, sometimes as a result of our own actions but sometimes not. Then we can feel bereft and wonder where God is. But David also shows us how to find God’s presence again – simply by crying out to Him for help! Too often we turn away from God at difficult times when we don’t feel His presence because we feel He has forgotten us, or that He has allowed something to happen that we don’t understand. But these are the very times we need to call on Him for help. And He will answer.
Dear Lord,
It’s true I get complacent when things seem to be going well. Help me to stay close to You in the good times as well as the difficult ones. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.