Read this first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2030&version=NIV
“I will exalt you Lord” is how the story begins. We don’t use the word exalt much. In the ESV it says exult. That isn’t much help. Praise is used in the CEV. Exalt seems like one of those words we use for God and God alone- but exalt means you hold someone in high regard. I can remember a friend once saying- What ever you ask me to do I will do- I trust you. I think that’s as close to exult as it can get when dealing with another person and not God.
How do we exalt God? I think we mostly think of music, and maybe prayer. But if the prayer and the music doesn’t move us to action- then I don’t think it’s really exalting God. That’s why we have so many in our culture against “thoughts and prayers” they’re not against thought I’m assuming so they’re probably really not against prayer- but it remains a thought and prayer in regards to another person- how much does it help them? Prayer and thought should lead to action.
Exalting God is putting him first and the others second before yourself. It’s loving your neighbor and making sacrifices towards God and your world even when it doesn’t make sense to the outside world or even yourself.
Then the psalmist continues with the words- You saved me from the grave. Last week I had the saddest near death experience of my life. I was eating my favorite things. Bacon and guacamole and I choked and I was alone. I had made my first bacon weave over a turkey breast and had some homemade guac in the fridge and realized this was the perfect combo. I believe it was my first bite with the holy trinity of homemade goodness entering my palate but the turkey got caught in the wrong pipe and I was choking hard. I was pulling meat from my mouth, hopping up and down, and I was certain I was done. I swallowed and somehow it went down the right pipe and all was well. But boy was I scared. I praise God I’m alive. I went from pure bliss to almost dieing in about 20 seconds. I was thanking God after, and I was sure people would say, “He died doing what he loved” I was also mid filming of a children’s message with puppets and a happy meal. But as John Mulaney I think says- well he probably doesn’t love any of those things now.
Regardless I’m thankful to God I’m alive just like the psalmist says. But it’s sad how until writing this I’ve almost forgotten that story. You would think God bringing me from death to life would be significant- but I think he’s done it so many times I’ve grown apathetic.
“At night we may cry but at morning we will celebrate” is cryptic yet profound if you’ve been there. In my experience with kids- they cry more at night than they do in the morning. There’s something about wanting to be home, about existential dread, about not accomplishing all that we should have that eats at you at the end of the day. The psalmist continues the thought with: “You have turned my sorrow into joyful dancing.” My last week has mostly been about dancing- it was a theme in our youth zoom, it was what the puppets did at the end of their happy meal. It was a good time. We want this quarantine to end so we can dance together again. Right now the dancing takes place in kitchens and in living rooms, but we want we want it to happen in the clubs and in the church. There’s a phrase you don’t hear in too many devotionals. But God made us to dance with each other and with Him. I want to see it soon.
Lord make it so soon. Turn our sorrow into dancing. Amen.
Marking It Up 