Hope amidst Hopelessness: Tuesday

Tuesday March 16, 2021

Created by Elyse Horn

Psalm 30:1–5 (NIV)

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, Lord,

for you lifted me out of the depths

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,

and you healed me.

3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;

you spared me from going down to the pit.

4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;

praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may stay for the night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Devotion

In this Psalm, David faces the possibility of death at the hands of his enemies. This death would no doubt be a painful one. Although God restores David’s health, revitalizes him, and keeps David safe from harm, David acknowledges that it does not mean that he is in a constant state of happiness.

He points out that although emotions are temporary, they are still worthy of acknowledgement. In this pandemic, it can be easy to be hard on yourself for feeling happy because there is so much pain in the world due to Covid and other factors. It can be equally as easy to be hard on yourself for feeling sad because “someone has it worse than you.” David gives us some guidance on how to deal with our emotions in his example of sorrow. He says, “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” This verse reminds us it is okay to be sad, but tomorrow is a new day.

David’s hope in a weary age is the witness to what God has done in his life. In the hard times, he remembers the faithfulness of God and the power of hope and relies on them to get him through the day.

Practice: Journal about how you are feeling today and take a moment to sit in your feelings. Write down what blessings God has given you in your life.

Prayer

Good and gracious God, help us to find hope in this weary season. Amen.