It is good to give thanks for the Lord’s grace to us, especially when we have been rescued. The psalmist, and this one is attributed to David, gives thanks to God for rescue in these words at the opening of Psalm 30:

30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up,

and did not allow my enemies to gloat over me.

30:2 O Lord my God,

I cried out to you and you healed me.

30:3 O Lord, you pulled me up from Sheol;

you rescued me from among those descending into the grave.

The boldfaced words express the deliverance. It is hard to put this all into a tidy bin: perhaps it was sickness and he was near death; or perhaps the healing is metaphorical for being lifted from near death at the hand of enemies. I tend to think it was near death in an illness way rather than from the pursuit of enemies.
And this psalm ends on the same notes of joy at the hand of God’s deliverance, as do other psalms (34, 107, 138):

30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy.

30:12 So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent;

Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you.

30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up,

and did not allow my enemies to gloat over me.

30:2 O Lord my God,

I cried out to you and you healed me.

30:3 O Lord, you pulled me up from Sheol;

you rescued me from among those descending into the grave.

30:4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers of his;

give thanks to his holy name.

30:5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment,

and his good favor restores one’s life.

One may experience sorrow during the night,

but joy arrives in the morning.

30:6 In my self-confidence I said,

“I will never be upended.”

30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure.

Then you rejected me and I was terrified.

30:8 To you, O Lord, I cried out;

I begged the Lord for mercy:

30:9 “What profit is there in taking my life,

in my descending into the Pit?

Can the dust of the grave praise you?

Can it declare your loyalty?

30:10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me!

Lord, deliver me!”

30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy.

30:12 So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent;

Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you.

More from Beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad