Psalm 40:1-3 - May 6, 2009

Ps 40:1-3 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 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 and put their trust in the LORD." NIV

Have you ever felt like you were walking through mud? Have you ever felt stuck in a mediocre routine that you know is less than the best that the Lord has created you for? This psalm is a celebration of the Lord’s deliverance and it begins with the key to receiving from the Lord through prayer: “I waited patiently for the Lord…” When we are under pressure usually the last thing that we want to do is wait for the Lord, but… that is exactly what we need to do. David had many opportunities to deliver himself from his troubles prematurely but they always involved compromising his character. What is remarkable about his life is his complete dependence upon the Lord. He knew that as he lived patiently before the Lord he would be heard and that God would answer from heaven. David lived confident that the throne room of God was the true source of all of his needs.
When the circumstances of David’s life began to experience breakthrough David did not boast in his own great accomplishments. Instead, he turned his praise to the Lord and declared, “He lifted me… He set my feet upon the rock… He gave me a firm place to stand!” This is the fruit of patient persistence before the Lord. David did not just wait passively before the Lord. He waited with a cry from his heart ascending into heaven and when God’s deliverance came, the cry of desperation became the song of praise! Have you ever experienced God setting your feet on a solid rock? Do you know the joy of standing in a firm place… not in your circumstances but in your inner man? This is the victory of God, when my heart is lifted into a place of confident patience and bold faith the battle is won! The battle is not to persuade the Lord to move on our behalf; the struggle is to attain a heart of faith that comes boldly before God. We are commissioned to come boldly into God’s presence but when our eyes are on our circumstances boldness before God is often hard to find.
As our hearts are helped in God’s presence and the victory is won a song of praise rises from our hearts. In Ps 30:11-12 David demonstrates the nature of the transformed heart: “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.” KJV As we learn to wait on the Lord in our times of need our cries of pain are met by the Lord turning our hearts and clothing us with a gladness from heaven. This is the true victory! And this victory testifies to the Lord’s greatness. People see our circumstances and then hear the voice of our praise and are moved to ask, “How can you be happy with all that you are going through?” and through our testimony God is praised. Wait on Him today until the victory of an overcoming peace and confident joy empowers you to shine for Him.