Psalm 40 – Day 1
"I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness."– Psalm 40:10NLT
When was the last time you told someone else what God has done for you? And I'm not talking about sharing about how you came to Christ when you were seven or eight. I'm talking about telling others about how God is active in your life accomplishing things that only He could do. David starts out this Psalm talking about a time in the not-so-distant past when he found himself patiently waiting on God to help him. And then he says, "he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God" (Psalm 40:1-3 NLT). David was singing God's praises for what He had done in his life. And the result of David's public relations campaign for God? "Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord" (Psalm 4):3b NLT).
I am convinced that many more people would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ if the followers of Christ had more to say about Him. If we had more to share about what God has done in our lives lately and how Christ is transforming our lives daily, it would give our claims regarding the value of salvation credibility. At this point, so many unbelievers are asking those of us who claim to be followers of Christ and believers in God, "What has He done for you lately?" And if they asked you that question, what would your answer be? What would you tell them? David said, "I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord, well know" (Psalm 40:9 NLT). Then he goes on to say, "I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness" (Psalm 40:10 NLT).
David knew first-hand what it was like to have God intervene in his life and rescue him from trouble, forgive him of sin, provide him with victory, heal him from sickness, and restore him to a right relationship with Himself. David knew that a relationship with God was not all about doing things for God to somehow keep Him satisfied and earn brownie points with Him. "You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings" David told God (Psalm 40:6 NLT). No, God wants His followers to take joy in doing His will because they have experienced His faithful, unconditional love and want to express their gratitude through obedience and submission to His will for their lives – because they know He loves them and has their best interests in store. In fact, David said about God, "Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them" (Psalm 40:5 NLT). David had a lot to say about God because God was an active and vital part of his life. Can the same thing be said of us? If we tried to recite all the wonderful things He has done for us lately, would we run out of time before we ran out of list? David called on God because he expected God to act. David waited on God because he was confident God would respond. David told others about God because he had plenty of stories of God's faithfulness to tell. He said, "May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, 'The Lord is great!'" (Psalm 40:16b NLT). Maybe we have little to say about God because we so seldom turn to God for help and place on Him all our hope. "Oh, the joys of those who trust in the Lord" (Psalm 40:4a NLT).
Father, the problem is not that You are silent in my life, it is that I don't recognize and appreciate Your activity. I don't see it, so I don't acknowledge it. You are working all the time on my behalf, but I tend to be blind to it. I also don't turn to You enough in times of trouble and trust You for deliverance. I try to solve all my own problems. In doing so, I rob You of glory and deny myself the opportunity to see Your power on display in my life. I want to be a greater witness for You by being more satisfied by You. I want to sing Your praises more and tell everyone I meet of all Your wonderful acts. Amen