The Dawn of a New Day

Psalm 30 (NIV)
1 I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

What is it about the dawn of a new day that brings hope when life is throwing us a curve? Living in a rural area, we have a great view of the eastern sky. When I do get up early, I walk to the road to pick up the newspaper. On many days the combination of sun and clouds create some magnificent reminders of the artistic talents of the God of Creation. And if I think about it, no one but me has the exact view that I do. Somehow a beautiful sunrise can help clarify my perspective on life.

There were times at work when the chemical plants for which I was responsible had problems and they seemed to pick the nights to do this. Going to work in the middle of the night, half asleep, was never fun. No matter how bad the problems might be, I was, in most cases, happy to see the light of day.

When life is in a “night” phase, we have difficulty imagining that “day” will come, so, how am I to act when the “day” arrives? David suggests in these verses that we sing, praise God’s name, and rejoice. This sounds like true worship if we are careful to give God the proper credit.