Psalm 30:1-5
I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

Reflection:
While reading this Psalm, I couldn’t help but hear The Beatles tune “Here Comes the Sun.” If you’ve ever made it through a cold night of camping to awake to the warmth of the first rays of sunrise, you know what a sense of relief and gratefulness that can bring. We take that same warmth for granted mid-day, but in comparison to the dark, cold night, those first rays feel especially sweet. While I personally don’t believe that God “gives us” trials in life, I do believe that he remains with us in our struggles and is miraculously able to make beauty out of brokenness. If we are open to it, some of the greatest moments of joy in our lives can come from being seen through the dark nights to the warmth of morning by a God who never lets us down.

Prayer:
Gracious God, Thank you for the joy that comes on the other side of hard times. Help us to share our joy with you, fully knowing that you’ve steadfastly shared our burdens. Amen.

– Megan Exley