Do You Praise? (PM Lesson Outline)
GIST: Praise should be a constant part of our prayers because He deserves it.
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 30
This evening, we’re coming to the pausing point for our second “Summer In Psalms”, and it’s a super fitting way to end. I don’t plan on keeping you long this evening because the message is very straightforward. However, straightforward doesn’t mean easy to apply. So, let’s read it and break it down. →
“1 A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple. I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7 By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!" 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”
There is actually a lot of speculation about what the inscription here implies about the original intent of this psalm. It says that it was written by David in dedication of “the house”. This could be used to refer to the temple, as the ESV translates it, but would have been written before the temple had actually been built (since David was not permitted to build it). It could also refer to David’s dwelling, or to the tabernacle. In the end, however, it doesn't really matter. Whatever the context, David’s longing was to praise the LORD. And that’s the driving question I want us to consider this evening. Do we praise? How much of our prayer time is spent praising the God who can, and how much of it is spent complaining about the fact we can’t? Maybe that doesn’t convict you as much as it did me, but it really hit me between the eyes this week.
We’re just going to walk through the psalm this evening and look at what this tells us about why we should be praising. If I could give you a quick gist, it would be this: Praise should be a constant part of our prayers because He deserves it. Now, let’s dive in. Why should we praise?
- Verse 1: Our Victory Is In Him!
“1... I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.” This passage literally starts by saying I will praise you enthusiastically. Why? Because he’s been drawn up. He’s been wrapped in the loving arms of our Savior. AND that’s how he’s been victorious over his enemies. He’s not been defeated because he’s in the arms of the unbeatable, loving God!
- Verses 2-3: He Provides Personal Physical & Spiritual Health/Life
“2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.” We should rejoice in our physical health. How often do we pray for physical healing? But do we thank Him for it...continuously...or at all? If you’re alive, it’s a blessing for a purpose. Praise Him! But even more so, praise Him for your spiritual life. If He’s saved you, you’ve been rescued from eternal condemnation to eternal grace!
- Verse 4: He Is Holy
“4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.” His name embodies who He is, and who He is, is holy. He’s perfect and wonderful and separate from sin. He doesn’t make mistakes or have bad days or lapses in judgement. Do you rejoice in that?
- Verse 5: His Anger Has Been Turned Away From Us
“5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” His anger won’t last forever...because we’ve been forgiven and have been covered in His righteousness! I love how Tim Keller put it in The Songs of Jesus, “While God can be angry with his people, anger is never the final word (verse 5), and so joy is always on the way, always coming to those who believe in him. In Jesus this principle goes even further to “sorrow producing joy (2 Corinthians 4:17; John 16:20–22).”22 Jesus’s grief and suffering produced joy for both him and us, and now, when we trust in him during dark times, our sorrow can also produce the joy of increased faith and spiritual reality.” (54). Look at those two verses he referenced:
2 Corinthians 4:17 “17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”
John 16:20-22 “20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
- Verses 6-10: He Has Forgiven My Arrogance & Turned To Me
“6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7 By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!"” He cried out that he wouldn’t be moved, but was humbled when God allowed him to see how much he needed Him (when He “hid His face” from him). Now he realizes the whole point of his life is to praise God here while he can!
- Verses 11-12a: Sorrow Is Gone & Is Now Joy
“11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent…” My sorrow is gone. My mourning has been taken away and replaced with joy, so now any good in me is now to point others to You!
- Verse 12b: We Will Never Run Out Of Things To Be Thankful For!
“12b...O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” AMEN!
TAKEAWAYS
It might seem strange, but there’s your takeaways ☺️, as well.
- Our Victory Is In Him!
- He’s Provided Personal Physical & Spiritual Health/Life
- He Is Holy
- His Anger Has Been Turned Away From Us
- He’s Forgiven My Arrogance & Turned To Me
- My Sorrow Is Gone & Is Now Joy
- We Will Never Run Out Of Things To Be Thankful For!
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