God Rescued Me – Psalm 40:1-11

A text – Psalm 40:1-11

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
² He drew me up from the desolate pit, 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 Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.
⁵ You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am; 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; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord.
¹⁰ I have not hidden your saving help 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.

¹¹ Do not, O Lord, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever.

A reflection:

Here is a worshipper who praises God for God’s past rescues and describes life with a steadfast God. Then at the end he begs God to continue being steadfast and to protect him forever. This is a psalm of David, and we know the Lord rescued David many times from Saul and in battle as well.

David has not only experienced God’s rescue, but he has made it known in the great congregation. Have there been times we have felt the hand of God in our lives, protecting us or even rescuing us from danger or depression or despair? I can think of a couple of times I was in tight spots when I probably would not have escaped unscathed if not for the hand of God (dressed up as people I did not even know). When I have retold the story, have I given God credit for watching over me and delivering me? Shouldn’t I have done that? How about you?

The older I get, the more I think I should actually tell the truth about those escapades. God was watching out for me, for sure. I should tell it in the great congregation, or at least to friends who matter to me. I might not know it, but my testimony might just be what another person needs to hear. My confidence in a saving God who is steadfast might just help to save them.

A prayer:

Lord God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for lifting your hand to save us from various things that can harm us. Help us to remember to tell people, when we recount our stories, that it was you watching out for us that saved us on that day. Amen.