Psalm 30: did you forget to say thank you?
David rejoices in this psalm because God has helped him in his hour of need. The subtitle in the NJB is “Thanksgiving after mortal danger”. David doesn’t forget to thank God for His help, but I know I do sometimes. While I’m going through something, I pray constantly, I ask for God’s forgiveness, I make sure I’m walking in His way, then when I’m out, safe and sound, life goes on, and God goes back to the back burner. What happened? If I did that to one of my friends, wouldn’t he be offended?
Here’s a plausible scenario: say I need a job, and I contact one of my friends. He says he can help. While he’s working on getting me the job, I’ll keep in touch with him constantly, updating him of my every move. As it comes time for me to get the job, I’m more and more confident, I regain my swagger, and when I do get it, I go out and have a good time. I don’t invite the one person responsible for getting me the job, and I send him a quickly written email to the effect of “Hey, thanks, I got the job! See you soon!” I don’t call him, I don’t keep in touch afterwards. I send him email forwards from time to time, “Hey, this is pretty funny! Ha ha!” How do you think my friend will feel? Will he feel appreciated?
Yet this is what we do to God when He helps us through the tough times, and those really dangerous times, when we don’t even realize what He’s saved us from. How do you think He feels? I know I’m guilty of it, and I don’t think I’m the only one. We rely on God till His “favor… set[s us] on unassailable heights,” then we turn our faces away from Him. When tough times come again, we get terrified, because we didn’t stay close to Him, and start screaming for Him again, like little children who lose sight of their parents in a crowded place. “Oh, dear God, where are you? I’m lost and don’t know what to do! Don’t leave me here alone!” and so on and so forth. Well, we wouldn’t have lost sight of Him if we’d kept our eyes on Him at all times. If we’d held His hand, if we’d stayed close to Him, everything would be fine. But we stray, like little kids. The glitter of the storefronts of wordly goods attracts us, and we easily let go of the hand that guides us to gawk at brightly colored things, then we we need God, we yell for Him and wonder where He is.
Shouldn’t we be ashamed of ourselves? We should know better. I should know better.
