Joy Comes in the Morning

I will extol you, LORD, for you have raised me up,and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.

I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

The psalm opens with praise and gives two reasons. The LORD has raised the writer up, and has not let his enemies rejoice over him. The rest of the psalm explains what he was raised from.

Also read 2 Samuel 6:20, Daniel 4:37, Psalm 25:2, 2 Samuel 20:3

LORD my God, I cried to you,and you have healed me.

O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

The whole story is told in one line. The writer cried to the LORD, and the LORD healed him. The psalm does not say what the illness or trouble was.

Also read Genesis 20:17, Exodus 15:26, Psalm 51:8, Psalm 107:17-22

LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol.You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

The rescue is described as being brought up from Sheol and kept from going down to the pit. The writer speaks as someone who was close to death and was kept alive.

Also read Psalm 71:20, Jonah 2:4-6, Psalm 86:13, Isaiah 38:17-18

Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of his.Give thanks to his holy name.

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

The writer turns to others and calls the LORD's saints to sing praise and give thanks to his holy name. A personal rescue becomes a reason for shared worship. The next verse gives the reason.

Also read Exodus 15:11, Psalm 103:20-22, Psalm 97:12, Psalm 132:9

For his anger is but for a moment.His favor is for a lifetime.Weeping may stay for the night,but joy comes in the morning.

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

This verse gives the reason for the praise. It sets a moment of anger against a lifetime of favour, and a night of weeping against joy in the morning. The weeping is not denied, but it is given a limit.

Also read Psalm 63:3, Hosea 6:3, Psalm 143:8, Psalm 126:5-6

As for me, I said in my prosperity,“I shall never be moved.”

And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

The writer looks back at his own earlier confidence. In his prosperity he said he would never be moved. The psalm presents this as a mistake it is about to correct.

Also read Psalm 10:6, Psalm 119:117, 2 Corinthians 12:7, Job 29:18-20

You, LORD, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong;but when you hid your face, I was troubled.

LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

The writer admits his strength came from God's favour. The LORD made his mountain stand strong. When God hid his face, he was troubled, which shows how quickly that security went.

Also read Psalm 143:7, Psalm 104:29, Job 10:12, 1 Chronicles 17:26-27

I cried to you, LORD.I made supplication to the Lord:

I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.

The writer describes crying out and making supplication to the Lord. This verse introduces the prayer quoted in the next two verses.

Also read 1 Corinthians 12:8-9, Psalm 130:1-2, Psalm 34:6, Psalm 77:1-2

“What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit?Shall the dust praise you?Shall it declare your truth?

What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

The prayer argues with God. What profit is there in the writer's death, if he goes down to the pit? The dust cannot praise God or declare his truth, so keeping him alive means more praise.

Also read Psalm 88:10-12, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Isaiah 38:18, Psalm 6:5

Hear, LORD, and have mercy on me.LORD, be my helper.”

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

The quoted prayer ends with three short requests: hear, have mercy, be my helper. The words are plain and direct.

Also read Psalm 51:1-2, Psalm 54:4, Psalm 143:1, Psalm 27:7

You have turned my mourning into dancing for me.You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

The answer is described with two pictures. Mourning is turned into dancing. Sackcloth is taken off, and the writer is clothed with gladness instead.

Also read Isaiah 25:3, Revelation 7:14-17, Genesis 37:35, 2 Chronicles 20:27-28

to the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent.LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

The psalm gives the purpose of the rescue. The writer's heart will sing praise and not be silent. It closes with a promise to give thanks to the LORD forever.

Also read Psalm 146:1-2, Revelation 7:12, Psalm 145:2, Luke 19:40