You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. – Psalm 30:3

Today's Scripture Reading (June 30, 2022): Psalm 30

Near-death experiences are often fickle things. As we approach death, the things that we experience seem to differ according to the person. And, sometimes, what we experience during those moments simply conforms to what it is that we expect to experience. I read one account of heaven that had resulted from a near-death experience, and everyone in heaven existed at the age of thirty-three, the age at which we suppose that Jesus died. The near-death experience conformed with the person's expectations. The mind is a powerful force that is easy to underestimate. And often, it has the power to let us see what it is that we expect.

But is it real? A lack of uniformity among the many accounts from various people who have suffered near-death experiences would suggest that it is simply our mind allowing us to see what it is that we expect to see. Everything we know about what is on the other side is likely just a mirage of the mind. Our subconscious minds are working furiously, putting together the various pieces of information that we have heard, some of which we might not even be aware. And for all who want to believe that they have seen the real version of heaven, I remind you of the words that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus; "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man" (John 3:13).

David has had a near-death experience. We don't know the circumstances, nor do we know if he was injured and close to death but recovered, or if it was just that he had found himself in a very dangerous situation, from which he eventually escaped. David was a soldier and had likely been placed in life and death situations many times. But whatever the case might have been, he gave God credit for his escape.

The pit to which David refers is the grave. He likely had very little understanding of a life beyond this life, which might be why he doesn't describe what it is that he saw. David also knew that it wasn't really important. What was important was that God was in control.

The inscription of the Psalm is that it was written for the dedication of the Temple. If that is true, it was written prophetically; David never saw the Temple that his son Solomon would build except in his mind. David was not immortal; one day, he would go down into the pit. Some argue that the inscription should read that it was written for the dedication of David's Palace, which was something that David did see built. But either way, this Psalm was a recognition that everything that had happened could have only happened because God saw fit to save David. And because David was saved from the pit, the grandeur of the Palace existed, and one day, a Temple for Israel's God would be built and dedicated.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 31