The Psalms of David help us develop our relationship with our Creator. Think of David’s mind as he wrote, “O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me …” (Psalm 30:2). David’s life had times of difficulty but he perceives that God’s “favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (verse 5). David had times of great need, and wrote, “To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper! You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (verses 8-11). We have an example of this, of a journey that ended in gladness, in Genesis 24. We read of God’s guidance and favour to Abraham through watching over his servant so that he was successful in obtaining the right kind of wife for Isaac.

Back in Psalm 30 we noticed how in verse 8, David used the memorial name of God (YAHWEH – this is where LORD is in capitals), but then he wrote, “to the Lord (Adonai). I plead for mercy” (the KJV still puts LORD in capitals but the ESV follow the Hebrew text). This is an intimation of the role of our Lord today. The Hebrew word Adonai is first used in words Abraham spoke in his conversation with his Creator “in a vision” (Genesis 15:2). This takes our thoughts to the teaching of Jesus, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” Can we see the coming day? Remember what Paul told the Corinthians; “we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). May we, in our reading and meditation of God’s word, be “clothed with gladness” that flows from the relationship we have developed with our Lord.

When we come to Psalm 45:6,7 we will read, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The sceptre of your kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness”. These words are picked up in Hebrews (1:8,9) and applied to Jesus. Understanding them correctly requires deep thought. Consider this, just as Jesus represents God, so we have to become more like Christ, to represent him – and then, in his kingdom we will be “clothed with gladness” for evermore in a wondrous relationship.