Psalm 30:6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
Not long ago, my family and I visited Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What a great reminder of the freedoms and blessings we have in this country! When thinking of Philadelphia, the Continental Congress and Independence Hall, we often think of the Declaration of Independence, for which I am very grateful. This leads me to think about the American Dream, which needs to be defined, but I am thankful for that too. Oftentimes the American Dream is the idea that we can do as much as we want to. We have freedom and independence; we can go as far as our abilities take us. There is a sense in which I am thankful for that freedom, but that in turn leads to this idea that we will just pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, that we don’t need anyone or anything, that we are self-made men.
Well, the answer to being arrogant is not total dependence upon government. That is not the point here. The point is, that we need not be independent of God. In Psalm 30, David is about to dedicate his house. The Bible says, “A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.” Now, did God build David’s house? God had said to David years before, “I will build you a house. You are not going to build me a house, but I am going to build you a house.” Did God actually come down and put stone upon stone for David’s house? No, but David recognized that ultimately God was the source of all that he was and all that he had. He dedicated his house not to himself or his abilities; he dedicated it to God.
To whom is your house, your money, your abilities dedicated? One pastor on the African continent has said, “You Americans do not pray as you ought because you are not desperate enough.” I can’t argue with that. Perhaps no one has been less inclined to seek God and see their need for help than Americans right now. Having said that, you will get about as much help today as you think you need. If you don’t think you need any help, you aren’t getting any. If you see your need and that you are not all that you need to be, there is unlimited help.
In Psalm 30, David looks back on his life and says in verse 6, “And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.” Things were going well and it was easy for him to think, “I’m fine. I’m good. I don’t need anything or anyone.” In verse 7 he says, “Thou God didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.” In other words, as soon as things went poorly for him, he realized how much he needed God. And today, you will get about as much help as you think you need.
In verse 2 the Psalmist says, “I cried…and thou [God] healed.” In verse 8 he says, “I cried.” And, in verse 10 he says, “Hear, O LORD…be thou my helper.” The help for which the Psalmist was looking for was not some reward; it was mercy.
Friend, no honest person wants what they deserve. If you think, “I’m a great person, a strong person. I deserve more,” that is a trap, a deception. No, what I need today is God’s mercy. I need what I don’t deserve. I don’t want to get what I do deserve. Verse 12 says, “To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.” The end of God’s help is making sure that He gets the credit. Who gets the credit for your life, for you house, for your abilities? Who are you lifting up and exalting?
In Psalm 30:1 the Psalmist says, “I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up.” He is saying, “God, I am exalting You because You have lifted me up.” Who are you lifting up today? Who is going to build your house, your life? Today, if I am smug and think that I am enough, then I am not going to get the help that I need. If I acknowledge that I’m not enough, not for eternity and not for right now, then there is unlimited help from an unlimited God. You will get about as much help today as you think you need.