Established by the Lord

Established by the Almighty

I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.  He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-3

It is always good to remember from whence we came; otherwise, we do not appreciate fully what we have received.  Consider the circumstances and actions of the Psalmist. He tells us where he was.  His soul resided in the most unpleasant place.  He was one weighed down in the mire and mud, surrounded by the realities of despair and destruction.  He was utterly cast down.  His situation was one in which he himself had no recourse to remedy. He tells us his actions, “I waited patiently upon the Lord.” As the language indicates, he waited and waited which implies a persistent and perpetual waiting. In a temporal sense, his waiting involved quite a length of time. He was active in that waiting, ‘I called upon Him continually.’  There was before him but one course of action that required two simple ingredients; wait and cry out. This is valuable instruction for a soul utterly dependent on the One who is higher and able to deliver him from his helpless state.

We learn quite quickly here that the Psalmist’s choice of action is good and right. Look at what the Almighty God does for this one lost in such miserable surroundings. He inclines His ear toward him. He hears his cry, he positions Himself towards this needy one who waits and cries out.

God doesn’t just hear the cry, He acts. He lifts him up out of that pit. He sets his feet upon a solid rock. He secures his steps for the pathway of his future and He puts a new song into His mouth and fills him with gladness and praise. This is, in essence an expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The sinner, lost and completely helpless in the mire of the clay can do nothing but wait and cry out in faith to the Risen Savior. Even his faith to cry out is a gift. ‘Salvation is of the Lord,’ in that He will hear that cry, incline His ear to that sinner and lift him up out of the pit of despair. The shed blood of Christ is sufficient to declare that wretched soul a redeemed child of the King. In securing our salvation, Christ sets our feet upon a Rock, secures our steps and He puts a new song in our mouth.

What is the effect of this powerful Gospel on the life of a dependent child? Not only is their own situation remedied but, others will see it. They will observe a life transformed by the power of the Risen Christ. They will remember the stench from the pit in which that dear one once resided and they will observe the life changing action of redemption. They will see this new life, positioned securely on the Rock and they will hear the voice of the redeemed one as they sing their song of praise and deliverance. Not only will they themselves observe and see; they will believe! The Psalmist declares, ‘many shall see it and fear and put their trust in the Lord.’ So take heart, child of God, and sing of thy redemption, of the mighty works which He has done!

Our Great God,

We praise Thee for Thy great

and mighty work

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice

D.L.