Coming Up: Sonday July 13, 2014
Psalm 40
Read: Psalm 40:1-3, Psalm 51:7-15
I (Josh) remember vividly when I was only about 4 or 5 years old slipping into a duck pond. Think of one of those dirty, smelly, brown ponds where all the ducks congregate. As a child I would love every visit we made to feed the ducks. One day I stepped too close to the edge and slipped off the slippery grass straight into the muddy, dirty pond. Without hesitation my mother jumped straight into the water and lifted me to safety.
As I remember this small rescue from the muddy pond, in a much greater way David remembers how God rescued Him from the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. The picture is striking. David was in some kind of terrible situation, a situation that he doesn’t tell us the details of. The trouble he was in felt to him like he was in a slimy pit. This is far more than just a duck pond. David fears his imminent death. He is afraid that he will sink down into this pit and die, no one will be able to get him out. Without help from God David will die.
You can sense David’s relief when he remembers God’s rescue. God heard his cry and turned to rescue him. God bent down and pulled David out of the mud and the mire. He pulled him out of the slimy pit and set his feet on a firm foundation. God saved him from certain doom.
Notice how David responds to God’s gracious act of salvation. In verse 3 he praises God through song. He worships God for all that He has done in saving him. Because of David’s praise to God and testimony about God’s act of salvation
This response to God’s salvation is a pattern that repeats itself in this psalm and all across the book of Psalms. The pattern goes like this:
God’s Salvation —> Praise to God —> Others Praising God
We see this process also in Psalm 51. David is crying out to God for forgiveness after committing adultery with Bathsheba. In verses 7-12 he asks God to cleanse him, to save him from his sin and to restore him. He is crying out for God’s salvation. In verses 13-15 we see the next steps in the process. David asks God to save him so that he might praise God and teach God’s ways to others. God’s salvation leads to praise to God which leads to others coming to know and praise God also.
This should also be the process in the life of a Christian. In the same way that God bent down and rescued David from His situation God acts to rescue us. When His people are facing certain destruction He acts by His grace and mercy to provide a way out through the suffering and death of His son on the cross. Because of the salvation God has worked for us we ought to praise Him and to proclaim Him to others which should naturally lead to others turning to Him and praising Him also.
Prayer:
Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¥ Praise God for all that He has done in saving you and bringing you to Himself. Pray that He would stir up in your heart a great thankfulness for all that He has done and that that thankfulness would overflow into sharing Him with others.
Remembering God’s work of salvation in our lives and in the lives of others should lead us to praise Him for all that He has done. Find another believer today to share about God’s salvation with and praise Him together.
1. This pattern is one that happens a lot in the Psalms. What would that pattern look like in your own life?
2. How do you think David’s praise to God leads others to trust in God?
3. How can you remind yourself to praise God for His salvation?
Intro: It’s a huge relief to be rescued or saved from something. Sometimes we really need someone to help us.
Share: A time when you were rescued or saved from something. What happened? Who rescued you? How did it make you feel?
Read: Psalm 40:1-4. God rescued David from a pretty terrible situation. How do you think David would have felt when he was in trouble? How did he feel after God had rescued him? Why do you think David sang a song after God rescued him? (vs 3) How should we respond to what God has done for us?
Pray Together: Praise God that He is kind and loving and that He rescued us. Thank Him for His love for you.
Intro: It’s a huge relief to be rescued or saved from something. Sometimes we really need someone to help us.
Share: A time when you were rescued or saved from something. What happened? Who rescued you? How did it make you feel?
Read: Psalm 40:1-4. God rescued David from a pretty terrible situation. How do you think David would have felt when he was in trouble? How did he feel after God had rescued him? Why do you think David sang a song after God rescued him? (vs 3) How should we respond to what God has done for us?
Pray Together: Praise God that He is kind and loving and that He rescued us. Thank Him for His love for you.
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