“And although I wouldn’t ever send a cordial invitation to pain to come for another visit, I am grateful for the many ways it eventually ushered me into deeper intimacy with our Lord.”
Psalm 40 seems a bit backward to me. It starts as a bright reflection on what the Lord has already done and ends in verse 17, saying (I'm using the Passion Translation here), "Lord, in my place of weakness and need, I ask again: Will you come and help me? I know I'm always in your thoughts. You are my true Savior and hero, so don't delay to deliver me now, for you are my God." This is not the normal progression of most Psalms. Most Psalms (this is not true for all Pslsms) start with the author's need and end with a celebration of God's intervention.
Psalm 40 is excellent for many reasons, but one of the most important is that we see an emotional and spiritual reality with which we can relate. Have you ever felt confident in one moment but needing help and support in the next? I have, and so has David, the author of this Psalm.
In Psalm 40, we see a picture of what looks like significant struggle, suffering, and pain. Look at verse 12, "Evil surrounds me; problems greater than I can solve come one after another. Without you, I know I can't make it. My sins are so many! I'm so ashamed to lift my face to you. For my guilt grabs me and stings my soul until I am weakened and spent." Life is hard, and this Psalm acknowledges that reality. It's a reality we've all experienced and maybe that you are experiencing right now. But there is hope.
No matter what you are currently facing or how you are dealing with the harsh realities of everyday life, I would encourage you not to forget how Pslam 40 begins. In fact, the first four verses are the focus of our weekly teaching this week (you can see it above). Right off the bat, Psalm 40 is a prayer that has already been answered.
The first few verses are like the glimmer of hope amid the darkness that continues to shine no matter how bad it gets, "I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry. He stooped down to lift me out of danger from the desolate pit I was in, out of the muddy mess I had fallen into. Now he's lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path." These first verses ring through the rest of the Psalm to remind us all of the hope found in God even in what feels like growing the difficulty of life. It's like when you repeat to yourself over and over, "I can make it, I can make it, I can make it."
In a powerful reflection by Eric Peterson (the son of Euguene Peterson), which you can find linked below, he writes, "Jesus didn't come to deliver us from our humanity and its accompanying heartaches, but to join us in it all (the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly) and to use it as the raw material to redeem our lives." Isn't that good news!
We come to the end of this Psalm again, but this time with the hope of the first verses ringing in our heart and mind - verse 17 - "Lord, in my place of weakness and need, I ask again: Will you come and help me?" The answer - verses 1 & 2 - "I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry. He stooped down to lift me out of danger from the desolate pit I was in, out of the muddy mess I had fallen into. Now he's lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path."
Praise the Lord.