David knew his emotions were valid; he didn’t stuff them or ignore them. He took time to grieve. But when that grieving season was over, he moved on to rejoicing. His psalms are testaments not only to the authentic grief he experienced but also to his authentic joy after God put a new song in his mouth. This wasn’t an instant thing for David; it happened over time. The first and second verses of Psalm 40 say he had to wait patiently for this to happen. When it finally did, David said it wasn’t because of anything he did, but because of everything God did.
