Psalm 40

Psalm 40

Question of the day: 

When do you most feel like sharing God with someone?

Read together: Psalm 40:1-17

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 the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

4 Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.[b]
5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
    but my ears you have opened[c]—
    burnt offerings and sin offerings[d] you did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.[e]
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.

14 May all who want to take my life
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
    be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    you are my God, do not delay.

We will just take this passage verse by verse.  

1,2)  A firm place to stand.... I love the poetic language that David uses.  The visual is fantastic.  David starts this song with this verse about being rescued by God.  Rescued...

How has he rescued you?  

Or are you in need of rescuing?  

Do you ever feel like you are in the mire, in the swamp drowning? 

If you are drowning, are you willing to wait patiently? 

The waiting is often the most difficult part.  Waiting on the Lord was a huge theme in the story of David.  Frankly it is in all our lives.

Do you wait in lines well, stopped traffic, for your table at the restaurant? 

What helps in the waiting?  

3.)  Where does the song come from?  A new song!  We often get comfortable in with the familiar, we love the familiar, and the familiar isn't bad, but God gives us a new song.  New reasons to sing, new knowledge to sing about, new victories, new solid rocks to stand on. Being in relationship with God isn't about arriving at a destination, it is a journey with endless growth and experiences.  Being in relationship with him gives us a reason to sing a new song!  

We are here at the beginning of a new year.  This time of year we focus on new beginnings, new goals, new words, new resolutions, new ways of eating, new books to read.  What about a new song? 

Here is a new song that I thought I would share....

4-5) This week reading this song, I was thinking how important that we spend sometime remembering how God has lead, how he has been there, what he has done for us.

I want us to take a moment and just share, what has he done for you this year? What has he done for us in this class?

6-8)  What is David trying to say here?

What does God want from us?

What is he asking of us?

9-10) This was really the question of the day.  What makes us want to share Jesus?  What is it that compels us to proclaim his goodness?  If we aren't willing or wanting to proclaim His goodness what does that say?

11-13)  I cried this prayer a lot this past year.  In this relationship with God, crying out for his help is certainly a part of it!  We praise Him, we converse with Him, we wait on Him, and we most certainly cry out to Him.  What holds us back from crying out to God?

14-16)  Verse 14 doesn't seem very nice! What are your thoughts about this passage?  Is this just showing the humanness of David or is there a time and place to ask for such things of those who don't love the Lord?  What do we make of this?  

This is simply stating that if God is glorified, if God is the victor then those who were working against him will not succeed.  This is less a cry for shame to come upon them, and more a cry for God to show up big time and as a result, they will be set back!  Do you see that?  

We don't have to shun the evil, we don't have to wish shame upon those who are trying to do us harm.  We just need to cry out to God to work out His will in our lives, then.... we are on the right side, we will be proclaiming, "The Lord is great!"

17) David ends this song with "....do not delay"

Is that the cry of our hearts? 

As we approach the new year, I pray that we will recount how God has worked in our lives.

I pray that we will be in relationship with him, conversing with Him, praising Him, and crying out to Him!  

I also pray that the cry of our heart and the focus of our daily lives will be.... "DO NOT DELAY!"

Oh Lord come quickly!  We desire to be with you!