Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.  Psalm 30:4

• The author of this psalm had just recovered from a dire illness. Have you ever experienced a moment when if not near death you felt imminently threatened by it? How did you feel after you recovered?
• Sometimes people who have experienced terror or terrible pain feel that they have grown stronger because of it. Read Psalm 30:1-3, the text preceding this verse. How did the psalmist feel about his recovery?
• Read the following text, Psalm 30:5-10. The psalmist provides a little history of his problem. When you read, “I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved,” what words come to mind? What was the psalmist’s attitude when everything appeared to be going his way?
• Read Psalm 30:11-12, the closing verses. What changed after the psalmist experienced God’s intervention in his life in a dark and dangerous emergency?
• Secular thinkers believe they do not need any god when they have trouble. They believe that human beings can take care of themselves and don’t need any “ghost stories” to help them. What would the psalmist say in response to that attitude?