Psalm 40

SCRIPTURE LINK: Psalm 40

REFLECTION/APPLICATION

I see Jesus in this psalm. David wrote it about some situation he was facing, and I read it and find it expresses my heart in circumstances I find myself embroiled in right now. The Bible itself makes clear that this psalm in some way foreshadows Jesus, because part of it (vv. 6- 8) is quoted in Hebrews 10. Jesus, too, must have experienced the whole range of emotions and thoughts expressed in this psalm. He waited in trust on God the Father; He experienced the highs and lows of being human. He had to discipline Himself to obey His Father’s will and even obeyed to the point of death. He experienced the animosity of others, of powerful people who wanted to take His life. Jesus is the ultimate declaration of God’s righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, love, mercy, and truth. He is our help and deliverer.

This psalm is exactly the psalm I needed this week. We have seen answered prayer. A son who had been knee deep in mud and mire found the solid ground of Jesus. God lifted him out of that pit and set him on solid ground. I have tears in my eyes as I read this passage and see a note I wrote several years ago in the margin: “I’m crying, Lord. Please give our children a firm place to stand. Help them.” He heard my cry and I was given a fresh song of praise to God earlier this week!

Later in the week, after our son’s decision to turn back to trust the Lord, troubles came. I can’t go into details, but we have experienced the whole range of this psalm, from the elation of realizing that God has heard our prayers and worked, to the heartfelt cry that begins with verse 11, “Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;/ may your love and your truth always protect me./ ... troubles without number surround me./… I am poor and needy;/ May the Lord think of me./ You are my help and my deliverer; /O my God, do not delay. ” (NIV)

The truth is that if we are standing anywhere but on the rock of trusting God, we are in the muddy mud, the slimy pit of false security. Our only hope is in the love and truth and mercy of our LORD.

The words of this hymn came to mind today:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

We are offered all kinds of “sweet frames” to lean on these days: our government’s system, the law of our country, material possessions, money, position, comfortable lives, family, friends, savings, wise financial planning, our own abilities… not one of those things is evil. But they are not what we should trust in. God alone is the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. He has reached down and given us Himself to stand on! Amazing love!

“Many, O LORD my God,/ are the wonders you have done./ The things you planned for us/no one can recount to you;/ were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” (v. 5, NIV)

Where are you standing? Who or what are you trusting in for your security?

PRAYER

Help us to stand on the firm ground of trust in You, LORD. Help us to seek You. We truly are poor and needy and we need You. Thank you that we know our Deliverer. We know, so much more clearly than David, how You provided Yourself for us. Help us to speak of Your faithfulness and salvation. Make us a people that rejoice and are glad in You, even in the midst of trouble, because we trust in You.