For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I WAITED PATIENTLY for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the Slimy Pit (Jeremiah 38),
out of the mud and mire;
HE SET MY FEET ON A ROCK
AND GAVE ME A FIRM PLACE TO STAND.
3 HE PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH,
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO OUR GOD.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him. Psalm 40:1-3
In Monday’s blog on Psalm 37:7, David spoke about BEING STILL BEFORE THE LORD AND ‘WAITING PATIENTLY’ FOR HIM. I said it could take time for us to ‘get still’, to let our hearts become calm before God. David repeated this thought at the beginning of Psalm 40, Waiting Patiently for God, NO DOUBT ONE OF THE SECRETS OF DAVID’S LIFE!
In the second verse he speaks about the Lord lifting him out of the Slimy Pit and the mud and mire, exactly like the prophet Jeremiah in yesterday’s blog. David probably wasn’t in a literal Pit, but his situation felt like that and some of us may also feel trapped in the mud and mire. The good news comes in the next lines of his praises to God;
HE SET ‘MY FEET’ ON A ROCK
AND GAVE ‘ME A FIRM PLACE TO STAND’.
3 HE PUT A NEW SONG IN ‘MY MOUTH’,
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO OUR GOD. (Worth repeating)
God intervened for David personally, my feet, my mouth and gave me firm standing. God rescued David and Jeremiah and He can do it for us. We don’t have to be overcome by circumstances, God can lift us up to Himself. Jesus is the Rock, the firm place to stand. We may be where we are because of our own actions, or maybe the enemy is trying to keep us from knowing the Father’s love for us but God wants to help. Remember the story of the Prodigal Son, far from His Father in a distant land but he turned and came back and the Father embraced him.
The third verse moves from the individual to the ‘Many’;
3 Many will see and fear the Lord
and PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM.
In my Bible there are cross references to the Book of Exodus, for putting their ‘Trust in Him’. Israel were an enslaved people and God had to win their trust Exodus 4:5, 14:31 and He did so by sending powerful signs and wonders. There was a major confrontation between the witchcraft power in Egypt and the power of the Lord through His people.
I believe that the picture of Israel as an enslaved people, powerless against the rulers of their time, is exactly were many are in the world today. God is going to intervene again with powerful signs and wonders to bring out ‘a people for Himself’. Many will see and put their trust in the Lord! Egypt may also be in a bit of a mess after this encounter.
God bless and keep you today.