The God That Lifts Us Up

“I will exalt you, Lord , for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.” —Psalms 30:1 NIV

Do you remember when God lifted you up? Can you think back to when you were stuck and helpless?

Have you experienced “the depths” David writes about in Psalms 30—the oppression and weight of fear and despair? There is something about a weight on the soul that is completely debilitating. It seems like when the trial moves from an external or mental challenge to a matter of the internal world, we more easily lose a grip on how to move forward.

Sometimes it feels impossible to escape a weary soul.

I think of this often in worship. One of the reasons I love to lift my hands in expressive praise is that it seems much quicker to get my hands to praise than to move my heart. All I have to do is lift up my hands, and I am actively engaging in glorifying God. It’s not that hands raised are worship without the intent to give praise, but that in aligning my whole self to worship, hand raising seems to be the most straightforward task.

It goes the other way, too.

When we struggle in physical ways, we at least have the tools to navigate it. We can seek out a second job to deal with financial issues. An unhealthy lifestyle can be turned around with healthier habits. Even relationship challenges can be fixed with wise counsel and intentionality.

All of these things can be addressed in the flesh, and if we are honest, they don’t necessarily require the power of God to move in our lives. We could see God move in these areas, but it is much easier to push God’s help away and keep pursuing our own strategies for deliverance.

David claims in Psalm 30 that it was God that lifted him out of the depths. It wasn’t his strong army that saved him from the oncoming enemy. It wasn’t his military genius that stopped the attack. He didn’t find a way through with his own devices. Whatever emended David referenced in this Psalm, it was the Lord that lifted him up out of the depths.

If we don’t see God as our deliverer, we will either live in despair or run from God’s help. We can push and push for our own way forward, but what happens when burnout hits and we find ourselves unable to go on anymore?

Praise God that Psalms 34:18 NIV declares, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Are you slow to embrace the humility that God desires? What would change in your response to hardship if you recognized that God is close to you in your weakness?

God is the one that lifts us up. When we turn to him and openly ask for help, we experience his wisdom, strength, and grace. God loves to provide for his people. Wherever you are today, remember that God is a strong deliverer, and call on his name in faith.