Psalm 30:1-12 Joy In The Morning
David has been crying out to the Lord for help. Finally! That help arrives with the morning. David sings, “Joy comes in the morning” for the relief he receives.
In David’s psalm he speaks as if he was literally on death’s doorstep before God answered him. I don’t remember any stories of him being sick and recovering. I’m wondering if it was a soul wearing death David was speaking of.
When asking this question I was reminded of one time in David’s life where he and his men were close to a place of total exhaustion, both body and soul, but they had to go on. Could he be singing about the victory after Ziklag? I think David was at his lowest point when he and his men were sent home from the battle only to find their families had been captured in their absence. His men were ready to kill him for taking them away from home to start with.
David called on the Lord for direction and he received it. God promised him victory over this circumstance. That promise was enough to drive David forward; exhausted or not. Two hundred of his men couldn’t continue because of the exhaustion. They stayed behind while he and the remaining 400 took on an impossible task. Impossible in man’s eyes anyway. But NOT God’s!
Against overwhelming odds, David and his men were victorious! The battle lasted for around 24 hours. All but 400 men were killed for they escaped on camels. The number of escapees is the same as David’s entire force! I cannot imagine the numbers they faced in battle that day. Talk about a stacked battle! But wait, it was stacked on David’s side even more because he had the promise of God. David knew he wouldn’t lose so he was free to throw his whole self into the task set before him.
This may not have been the event that inspired this psalm from David but I bet it was one event he could look back on and hold fast to in times of trouble. He could remember the pain in his heart when he found his wives missing. He could recall the infusion of courage he received after seeking the Lord. His very muscles remembered the strength given him by God in order to march and fight on. And his heart could recall the joy of reuniting with his wives and surveying the spoil left behind. Definitely a “joy in the morning” moment!
David’s “Who is going to praise You if I’m gone” question always get me. WE are not the only ones capable of praising God and He doesn’t require ANY one voice to tip the balance. God can cause even the rocks to sing His praise if He needs to hear another ‘voice.’ He loves us and wants to bless us but He is NOT worried about our missing voice in the choir. Eventually each of our voices will be missing from this earthly choir as we leave this world behind. We will join the Heavenly choir instead. The only thing that would silence our voice from both sides is rejecting Him. I seriously doubt that David was in danger of doing that. So why ‘threaten’ God with that possibility? I have no idea.
I can guarantee that God wasn’t afraid of David’s words. That ‘threat’ is NOT why God came to David’s rescue. God loved David, regardless of his threats, and THAT is why He moved on David’s behalf. Also God NEVER leaves a job ‘half-done’. He finishes what He started. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). David didn’t have this scripture written down for him but the meaning and promise in it were with David already. He KNEW he could trust in the Lord; without resorting to scare tactics. I wonder if he ever regretted using this kind of language with the Lord. I hope I can ask him in Heaven someday.
Father God, thank You for including me in that ‘chorus’. My one voice alone doesn’t rip open the heavens or put the volume past the threshold. But I’m glad I can lend it to You for Your purposes. I’m GLAD I can praise You! And THANK YOU for ALL my moments of ‘joy in the morning’!!! Form finding peace in Your word to comfort me in times of trouble to the AMAZING miracles You have brought in my life. For EACH of them I want to praise You again!
