Read: Psalm 40:11-17
We would expect such an incredible Psalm about God’s salvation to end on a high note. We would expect David to finish by praising God again, by looking back on God’s salvation given to Him in grateful triumph. Instead the Psalm ends on quite a different note. David is no longer simply remembering God’s previous act of salvation. He is crying out to God for a new one.
As happens in life this side of Christ’s return the previous trouble is replaced with a new one, something else goes wrong, there is another threat to David’s life. Notice the way the tone of the Psalm shifts in verse 11. David cries out to God for His mercy, for His love and truth. Why? Look in verse 12. David cries out because troubles without number surround him. But this time the trouble is not only from outside David. This trouble has been brought on by David’s own sinfulness. He says this in verse 12: “For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head and my heart fails within me.”
All of us have been in a situation like this before in our lives. Because of our own sinfulness and brokenness we are in dire trouble. We feel as if our sins have overtaken us and buried us. We feel like they have totally blocked out everything good and we are totally blind. We are broken and dirty and sinful.
But the Psalm does not end with the desperate, hoping against hope cry of a man who isn’t sure if rescue is coming or not. Notice how David ends the Psalm. He looks forward to the salvation that God will provide. In verse 16 He prays that all who seek God would rejoice and be glad in Him, that they would praise Him for His salvation. Then in verse 17 he cries out to God knowing that He alone is his help and deliverer. Even here as David cries out for help he knows that God’s help is coming and that God will be His help and deliverer. David has confidence in God’s salvation even before God answers.
How do you respond when you are in times of trouble and when you feel overwhelmed by your own sins? Do you try to clean yourself up before you come to God or do you cast yourself totally upon His mercy? Do you trust in God for His salvation or are you unsure if He really will answer your cries? Because of the grace of God and the work of Christ we can be absolutely sure that if we cry out to God, He will save us. What a relief it is to know that God is our saviour and deliverer.
Prayer:
Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¥ Pray for those in your congregation who are currently in trouble or feel overcome and overwhelmed by their sin. Pray that they would be filled with peace as they remember the work of Christ and that they would cry out to Him for His help.
The work of Christ on the cross is something that can give us absolute, 100% confidence that God has forgiven us for our sin. When we cry out to God and confess our sins we can be sure He will forgive us. (1 John 1:9) What sweet relief it is to remember this truth.
1. Why do you think we so often feel a need to ‘clean ourselves up a bit’ before we come to God for His forgiveness?
2. Imagine another Christian comes to you who is afraid that they cannot cry to God for help because of their sin. How would you encourage them?
Intro: Sometimes we don’t want to ask people for help after we have made a mistake. Can you think of a time where you were too afraid to ask for help?
Share: A time when you were too afraid to ask someone to help you fix a mistake. How did that make you feel?
Read: 1 John 1:9. No matter what mistakes we make we can always go to God. He never gets sick of us or refuses to help us. What does this passage tell us to do if we have made a mistake? What does it mean to ‘confess’ to God? What does it say will happen when we confess our sins to God?
Pray Together: Thank God for His forgiveness and pray that He might continue making you more like Jesus.
Intro: Sometimes we don’t want to ask people for help after we have made a mistake. Can you think of a time where you were too afraid to ask for help?
Share: A time when you were too afraid to ask someone to help you fix a mistake. How did that make you feel?
Read: 1 John 1:9. No matter what mistakes we make we can always go to God. He never gets sick of us or refuses to help us. What does this passage tell us to do if we have made a mistake? What does it mean to ‘confess’ to God? What does it say will happen when we confess our sins to God?
Pray Together: Thank God for His forgiveness and pray that He might continue making you more like Jesus.
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