Then you turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lᴏʀᴅ my God, I will always give thanks to you.
Into the Text
Praise is a crucial aspect of the practice of lament. Lament is more than the expression of our deepest hurts and needs to God. It is a declaration of faith in God’s character, power, ability, and willingness to act on our behalf. Praise is what sets lament apart from complaining. Praise completes the practice of lament. After expressing our pain to God, we declare that His holiness is unchanging, no matter our circumstances.
This week we’ll study five psalms of praise and use them in our practice of lament. We can learn much from the structure of David’s psalm as we form our own praise. David begins with praise, thanking God for deliverance from his enemies. He praises God for rescuing him, forgiving him, and having mercy on him. David acknowledges his sin, his experience of God’s anger at his sin, and the undeserved mercy God showed him, which was more than he deserved. He praises God for His continual deliverance, His constant presence, and His perfect character.
Today, take time to pray Psalm 30 aloud to God. Fill in your own experiences if you can, or simply repeat David’s words. When David penned this psalm he had not seen the fulfillment of God’s promise to build a temple, but he was confident God would keep His promise. In seasons of pain, we can be confident that our God is who He says He is. He is the promise-keeping God, the God of mercy, who turns lament into dancing, who removes our sackcloth and clothes us with joy. May we always give thanks to Him.
Prayer
God, thank you that even in the midst of lament we have reason to praise. May you continually build the discipline in me to praise you and not be given over to complaint. Amen.