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Psalm 40 (ESV)
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man who makes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
Reflection
- This song is a prayer for help when troubles abound. It is also a celebration of God’s mercy in times of need. It begins with praise of God for his past mercies (vv1-5) and a testimony to the kings’ own faithfulness to the Lord (vv6-10). The rest of the song is a prayer for help.
- In your own times of need, when God seems to take too long to help you, what “false gods” (v4) offer tempting alternative solutions to you? What happened the last time you relied on one of those “gods”?
- What in your life feels like a “slimy pit”? (v2) Which helps you most with present troubles: remembering God’s actions in the past? Or claiming God’s promises for the future? Why?