素萍坐在醫院的加護病房外哭泣，排山倒海的恐懼如巨浪般湧上心頭。她那剛出生兩個月大的兒子，肺部積水且有生命危險，醫生說他們會盡力搶救，但不能保證可以救活。事後她告訴我們，在那一刻她感受到聖靈慈愛又溫柔地輕撫她，提醒她要敬拜上帝。那時，她雖然沒有力氣唱詩歌，但在接下來的三天裡，她都在醫院裡用手機播放詩歌。當她敬拜上帝時，心中就有了盼望與平安。今天，她表示那次的經歷讓她明白：「敬拜不是要改變上帝，而是要改變自己！」

在面對絕境時，大衛以禱告和讚美向上帝呼求（詩篇30篇8節）。有位解經家指出，這是詩人在讚美和轉變中，祈求能得到恩典。上帝將大衛的「哀哭變為跳舞」，而大衛則宣告「要稱謝[上帝]，直到永遠」（11-12節），在各樣的處境中都要敬拜祂！儘管在痛苦的時刻很難讚美上帝，但讚美會帶來改變：從絕望變為希望；從恐懼變為信靠。而且，上帝可以用你我的經歷來鼓勵和改變他人（4-5節）。

因著上帝的恩典，素萍的兒子恢復了健康。儘管生活中不是所有的困難都如我們所願，能迎刃而解，但我們身陷困境時敬拜上帝，祂能改變我們，使我們重得喜樂（11節）。

Susy wept as she sat outside the hospital’s intensive care unit—waves of paralyzing fear sweeping over her. The tiny lungs of her two-month-old baby were filled with fluid, and doctors said they were doing their best to save him but gave no guarantees. At that moment she says she “felt the sweet, gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit reminding [her] to worship God.” With no strength to sing, she played praise songs on her phone over the next three days in the hospital. As she worshiped, she found hope and peace. Today, she says the experience taught her that “worship doesn’t change God, but it definitely changes you.”

Facing desperate circumstances, David called out to God in prayer and praise (Psalm 30:8). One commentator notes that the psalmist prayed “for grace issued in praise and transformation.” God turned David’s “wailing into dancing” and he declared that he would “praise [God] forever”—in all circumstances (vv. 11-12). While it can be hard to praise God during painful times, it can lead to transformation. From despair to hope, from fear to faith. And He can use our example to encourage and transform others (vv. 4-5).

Susy’s baby boy was restored to health by God’s grace. While not all challenges in life will end as we hope they will, He can transform us and fill us with renewed joy (v. 11) as we worship Him even in our pain.