By Used as a way to protect themselves from being betrayed, criminals justify the killing of a possible traitor with the statement “dead men tell no tales”. That is certainly true: dead people cannot tell of all your evil deeds.
In Psalm 30, King David uses the same concept of “dead people tell no tales”, but he uses it for much nobler purposes. For him it is no blessing that dead people tell no tales. For him it is a real problem.
“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?
Psalm 30:9
In times of despair we are often so aware of the troubles of life that we completely forget of the goodness and faithfulness of God. Death might appear a welcome friend during dark times, but that is not the way the living should think. While God still extends life, our purpose is to glorify Him. Therefore, as the rest of Psalm 30 illustrates, as long as we still live, we must be aware not only of our troubles, but also of God’s goodness. Most are so blind to God’s goodness that they need us to broadcast it audibly before they’ll recognise it. That is where we get to play a wonderful role. Do not seek death – it will come at its appointed time. Rather, as long as you have breath, tell of God’s faithfulness. In the time of blessing, give God the glory. In the time of despair, dwell on the Divine golden lining to every dark cloud.