Eastertide

April 27, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 30

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. –Psalm 30:1-5

I cannot read this scripture without recalling a story a friend told me years ago. Her husband was very ill in the hospital, and she was spending most of her time with him. A pastor friend of theirs called her home leaving a message that he was out of town and could not get by to visit them but was praying for them and encouraged her to remember that joy comes with the morning. Their daughter, having taken the message, delivered it to her mother saying the pastor had said that he could not come but someone named Joy was coming in the morning. My friend, being a dedicated Bible student knew exactly what the pastor was quoting and understood the message.

My Bible titles Psalm 30 as Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness. In this second year as COVID lingers, we, too, can gain solace by turning to the scriptures and letting the poets of Psalms provide salve for our weary souls.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for gifting poets to provide the words we need to hear when we feel helpless. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.