We continue our study of Psalm 30 and verses 8-10 which says, “I cried to thee, O LORD: and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.”   This Psalm was probably written after David’s encounter with Absalom’s attempt to take the kingdom.

In verse 8 we find David making a ‘cry to the LORD’.  When we have exhausted all our resources we can still pray.  When we have come to our wits end we can still pray.  I wish we could realize we don’t have to be exhausted and at our wits end, we can start out praying.  The word ‘cried’ means to call out to another by name.  The word ‘supplication’ means to ask the favor of another and to ask a superior to stoop to the level of an inferior.

“When our world is shaking with the violence of trouble, God’s throne of grace and help still stands firm.  Prayer will succeed when all else fails.” (Spurgeon)

I am extremely interested in David’s petition of prayer in verse 9.  The word ‘profit’ is the word gain.  David is asking the Lord, ‘What will be gained by my going to the grave?’  David begins to appeal to the glory of our Lord.  He asks the Lord, ‘Will my dust praise you?’  The word ‘praise’ has the idea of singing loud notes of adoration.  David is saying, ‘Lord, if I go the grave you will lose one in the earthly choir that sings your praises’.  David says, ‘My dust will not declare your truth’.  The word, ‘declare’, means to proclaim clearly and plainly.  David is saying ‘Lord, if I go to the grave you will not only lose a singer in the choir but you will lose a preacher behind the pulpit’.  The word ‘truth’ is those things which build up and establish another.

We know from experience that God often takes through death those who are giving Him praise and telling His truth.  I certainly do not want to be among the numbers who proclaim nothing.  There will be no reason for the Lord to leave us in this world.  We will be doing nothing but taking up space and breathing His precious air.

In verse 10 David continues His petition.  I would point out that there are 3 simple petitions.  The first petition is for the Lord to ‘hear’ him.  The word, ‘hear’, means to give an audience to or to turn the ear toward.  We are told in I John 5 that if we know that God hears us we have the petition that we ask of Him.  The second petition is “…have mercy upon me…”  The word ‘mercy’ means to withhold from one what they deserve.  Let us remember that for God to hear us is the highest of all mercies.  The third petition is “…be thou my helper.”  When God helps, trouble will vanish.  Our Lord helps His people and He is a very present help in trouble.  Let us realize our own weaknesses.  Our hearts are deceitful and subject to temptation on every hand.  I dare not trust in my flesh.  If the Lord helps us there is nothing we cannot do, there is nothing we cannot overcome, and there is nothing we cannot accomplish.  Let us realize this day the power that dwell in the little phrase, “Lord, help me.”