Psalm 30 (31)
For the End; a psalm by David; of ecstasy

In You, O Lord, I hope; may I not be
Ashamed forever;
In your righteousness deliver and
rescue me.
Incline Your ear to me;
Rescue me speedily;
Be to me a God who protects me,
And a house of refuge to save me.
For You are my strength and my
Refuge.
And for Your name’s sake You will
Guide and sustain me;
For You will bring me out from the
Snare they hid for me;
For you are my protector.
Into Your hands I shall entrust my spirit;
You redeemed me, O Lord God of
Truth.
You hate those who maintain their
Empty vanities,
But I hope in the Lord.
I will greatly rejoice and be glad because of Your mercy,
For You beheld my humiliation;
You saved my soul from distress,
And did not shut me up into the hands
Of the enemy;
You set my feet in a wide place.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am
Afflicted;
My eye is troubled with anger;
So are my soul and my stomach.
For my life is wasted with grief
And my years with sighing;
My strength is weakened with poverty,
And my bones are troubled.
I became a reproach among all my enemies,
And especially to all my neighbors,
And a fear to all my acquaintances;
Those who saw outside fled from me.
I am forgotten like one whose heart is lifeless;
I was made like a vessel that is utterly
Broken.
For I heard the blame of many who
Dwell round about
When they were gathered together against me.
When they were gathered together
Against me,
When they plotted to take my life,
But as for me, I hope in You, O Lord;
I said, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hands;
Deliver me from the hand of my
Enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
Make Your face shine upon Your
Servant;
Save me in Your mercy.
O Lord, do not let me be ashamed,
Because I call upon You;
Let the ungodly be ashamed,
And lead them down into Hades.
Let deceitful lips become speechless
When they speak lawlessness against
The righteous
With arrogance and contempt.
How great, O Lord, is the abundance
Of Your goodness
You hide for those who fear You,
Which You will work for those who
Hope in You
In the sight of the sons of men.
You shall hide them in the secret of
Your presence from the
Disturbance of men;
You will shelter them in Your tabernacle
From the contradiction of tongues.
Blessed is the Lord,
For He magnified His mercy in a
Fortified city.
But I said in my ecstasy,
“Indeed, I am cast away from the
Countenance of Your eyes.”
Therefore You heard the voice of my
Supplication
When I cried to You.
Love the Lord, all you His saints,
For the Lord seems out truth,
And he repays those who act with
Great arrogance.
Be courageous, and let your heart be
Strengthened,
All who hope in the Lord.

Orthodox Study Bible Commentary

Ps 30 is a revelation (ecstasy) of Christ in relation to the extreme humiliation He suffered before the Father on the cross for mankind. For example, “into your hands I entrust my spirit” is quoted by Him as His last words to the Father on the cross just before he died. “Love the Lord, all you His saints, for the Lord seeks out truth, and He repays those who act with great arrogance” speaks of those who act with great arrogance, that is, who reject the Lord’s extreme humiliation with their extreme arrogance.

Comments

I love this psalm because it just feels so real, asking God for rescue, refuge, strength, guidance, and sustenance. In humiliation, God has mercy. And the psalmist continued to ask for mercy.

When I make mistakes, I am so frustrated with myself. And yet God says that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. Jesus was humiliated on the cross for us and because of God’s sacrifice for us, we can exhale in knowing that even as we strive for perfection, we don’t have to be perfect. God is so good in his mercy and grace. We are growing in maturity. “Forgetting what lies behind but straining for what is ahead” (Philippians). As Joyce Meyer says, “you’re going to be growing all your life.”

And in the midst of it all, the psalmist hopes in the Lord. We hope in the Lord.
“How great, O Lord, is the abundance
Of your goodness
You hide for those who fear You,
Which You will work for those who
Hope in You
In the sight of the sons of men.”

I also love the verses at the end of the psalm because it’s part active and part letting go—
“Be courageous, and let your heart be
Strengthened,
All who hope in the Lord.”

God, help me be courageous and please strengthen my heart for this journey, for this week. It is going to be a good week, and I will make time to pray and let my heart be strengthened. Help me take my concerns to you Lord, confess and repent, and ask and receive your wonderful mercy. Thank you for your mercy, God. Thank you for your abundant love!