Psalm 30

The man of God needs resources of joy that can only come from heaven. God is able to lift him up and to rescue him from his enemies. The most significant enemy he faces is death, particularly that everlasting condemnation that would be due against him for the debt of his sins. Only the God of heaven could conquer such a formidable enemy.

A man lives his years on the earth. He experiences the wonders of creation, not just as an observer, but as someone who is able to take a small corner of disorder and work productively in the direction of a better world. Along with opportunities for good work, he encounters both love and hate. He feels the pain of loss and disease. Eventually his body must succumb to death. Over the course of his years, he does not love the Lord perfectly with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. His life is ebbing away from his body, and he must meet God. How will his sins be canceled? Where will he find the righteousness necessary in order to please the Lord?

Only God can give him the new life of body and soul that he requires. Every taste of life that he enjoys now is only a portion of a much larger whole. If a man is gripped by an illness that seems fatal and is granted ten more years on earth, he has a small taste of eternal bodily resurrection. If he is consumed with pride and is given a new heart of humility and love, he has received a gift from heaven.

When Christ rose from the dead, He appeared before His disciples and many others as the proof of the fullness of heavenly life. The taste that so many have received of new spiritual birth, and the mercies given to millions of some measure of bodily restoration, come through this one Mediator, the Man who died and was restored to life.

If we only experienced spiritual life during our few years on the earth and then faced extinction forever, this would hardly be a cause for the greatest celebration. Death must be defeated. It is the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the promise of eternal resurrection life, that enables us to sing praises to the Lord today even when we experience the trials of mortality.

If a man knows resurrection, even a mustard-seed taste of it, he can sing to God sincerely, and thank God in all things through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, he sees the anger of the Lord for sin, but he knows that this anger is only for a moment. Joy comes in a little while. God's favor, when it claims a man, will never let go. That divine favor lasts a lifetime, and then beyond mortality into eternal life. Of course we weep, but joy comes with the morning.

If the sun rises and the man of faith does not honestly feel joy, there may be some helpful props of this creation that will chase away his tears. Rest, good food and drink, modest exercise, and the happy company of good literature or a useful project... these are all kind blessings. He needs enough self-awareness to discover what works best for him. But if he wants to fight depression, he should be eager to use all the resources available from the new creation, the world of resurrection. He should be a participant in daily worship together with others who call upon the Name of the Lord.

When a man of faith lives in prosperity and the happiness of good providences, he may become too confident in himself. He says, “I shall never be moved. The Lord is giving me blessing upon blessing.” But what will this man do when the Lord's face is hidden in a veil of tears? While he is healthy, he rails about how other people should live as he lives, and then they would be healthy too. The very next day he may be depressed beyond his own ability to recover, and his body may be very sick. Is he willing to cultivate a new habit of eating tomorrow's bread today in heavenly worship with others who believe? He cannot live as a heavenly man by mortal bread alone. He needs every Word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

It is fine to say, “God is on my side,” when everything is happiness, health, and prosperity. But what happens when life is more difficult? Is there a living hope in him that is being nurtured, or has he learned to dismiss the food of heaven through the practice of spitting it out before he has had the full benefit of spiritual nutrition?

It could be that trials will bless this man, though God weeps with him in his troubles. The trial itself is not good, but it is a good thing for him to make his supplication to the Lord and to find help. He is learning that only God can give him life.

This man knows that there is a purposeful life of giving praise to God on this earth. He wants to worship God here. He does not believe that the time has come for him to die. Will God restore him to life to serve Him here for a few more years?

That is precisely what happens in Psalm 30, and the man is changed by this experience. His mourning clothes are gone and he is dancing full of joy. Instead of getting his old life back, he is given a new life, a life with a fuller taste of eternal joy.

Every day that we are granted on this earth should be a day of walking in the joys of heaven. Christ was cut off from the land of the living for us. He took our pride, our self-sufficiency, our uncharitable criticism of others who are facing difficulties, and our avoidance of the best patterns of physical and spiritual health. All of these things are not just choices. They are sins. Jesus had no sin. He took our sins upon Himself. This is why death has been defeated. This is why we will worship God forever. The healthiest and best choice for the godly man is to let the best forever start today. He does not need to wait for trouble to come in order to discover the joy of the Lord.