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Psalm 40
Psalm 40 probably follows after 38 and 39 for good reason. In the 38th Psalm, David laments a serious illness with no end in sight. And it was this terrible illness which caused him to ponder the brevity of life in 39.
In Psalm 40, we have the Psalmist giving thanksgiving to God on account of God delivering him “from the pit of destruction” and “out of the miry bog”.
Sinfulness and sickness cause us to consider life’s brevity and vanity then we call out to God in our despair, He is gracious to reveal that the true meaning of life is found in fellowship with our Creator, thus we begin to live out the original purpose for which we were created—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever with thanksgiving praises!
If the greatest kings and saints who ever lived find themselves bogged down by muddy times then how much more you and I? Let us learn to cry out to God from the slimy pit!
No one ever wants to go down into the slimy pits but when (not if) we find ourselves there, Psalm 40 puts words to that experience. Here are several points to consider:
- The Testimony of Joyful Patience in Verses 1-3
- A Patient Testimony—We have several sayings in our culture that go “good things come to those who wait” and “patience is a virtue”. But, in Psalm 40 good things come to those who wait upon God to deliver them. When we find ourselves bogged down in a muddy pit oftentimes the last thing we want to do is wait. But, that is exactly what David did and God delivered him.
- A God-Centered Testimony—Notice the phrases “He inclined…and heard” “He drew me up…and set” “He put”. Salvation is not about what we can do for God but what God has done for us. When we give our testimony do we tell me people what great things God has done for us? —Because our testimony is really His testimony.
- A Miraculous Deliverance—See Jeremiah 381b-13. In that passage, Jeremiah finds himself in a literal pit filled with mud, he nearly dies but God was not through with his prophet yet and so Jeremiah is delivered. We are not given a historical setting for this instance when David claims he was down “in the pit of destruction” so the text lends itself to being interpreted as a metaphor. What is your slimy pit today?
- The Slimy Pit of Sin—David had several instances in his own life whereby he found himself in the pit because of his sins. The good news is the pit is where the Lord meets all His people. We think the pit is a place too dirty and nasty for the Lord to rescue us from…its actually the opposite that is true.
- The Slimy Pit of Defeat—Defeats in business ventures, in school, work or relationships. You may have failed at something and found it extremely difficult to recover. But if you live your life for God He has something profound for you to do and He will make you as successful in that as He wants you to be. —When you are in the slimy pit of defeat, cry out and wait upon God!
- The Slimy Pit of Bad Habits—Bad habits keep people bogged down. Perhaps you have a bad habit of anger or laziness or overworking. Bad habits can be broken by the power of God and replaced with new healthy habits. God wants to develop His image in you and make you more like Christ. When you find yourself in the slimy pit of bad habits—Cry out to God!
- The Slimy Pit of Circumstances—Its one thing to feel like you are in the pits because of defeat or bad habits but imagine being in the pit like Jeremiah because you were doing what God wanted you to do. The Apostle Paul found himself in some bad situations on account of the gospel. See II Cor. 11:24-28. —You may find yourself in the slimy pit because of your witness for Christ and when you do cry out to God.
- The New Song of Thanksgiving in Verses 4-11
- The Lyrics of the New Song Encourage Others to Trust the Lord in Verses 4-5
- The Lyrics of the New Song Arise from a New Heart in Verses 6-8—This speaks of the New Covenant. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.—Jeremiah 31:33. *See Ezekiel 36:22-27
- The Lyrics of the New Song Testify to God’s Faithfulness—”Have you experienced the righteousness of God toward you through faith in Jesus Christ? Have you found the Lord faithful? Is his salvation good? Have you learned that he loves you, and have you discovered his truth in Scripture? To be a Christian is to have experienced exactly those things. But how can you have experienced them “in your heart” and yet fail to speak about them? If you are really aware of them, you will speak of them often, as David did.—Dr. Boice
- The Renewed Prayer in Verses 12-17
- The Stunning Reversal—This great Psalm does something which we would not have expected. Normally, the Psalms begin with a petition and then move into a praise. This pattern can lead us to think that petition to prayer is the only experience in the life of faith. But, God teaches us something in the 40th Psalm by reversing the order from praise to petition. Sometimes the life of faith takes 3 steps forward and 2 steps back…then 2 steps forward and 3 steps back etc. You might praise God with your feet set solidly on the Rock but then cry out from the depths of the pit tomorrow. This Psalm closes with the reminder that even this reversed trajectory is part of the life of faith. — “I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me…”
