Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
In this short passage we see a pattern of faith. A faith cycle. In the Old Testament we see another common cycle. The people of Israel fall into trouble, cry out for help, God saves them, the people rejoice, but soon forget about God and go back to their old ways. Here however, we have a pattern that David describes and that should be an example for all of us. We may describe this cycle in six steps.
Step 1 Our condition – stuck in the mud…in a miry pit
David is clearly describing a situation where one simply cannot escape, cannot get out of this predicament with only one’s own strength.
Maybe someone here today feels like this? Out of work? In a difficult relationship? No matter what you do, things look hopeless? Out of patience? Three crying children…no help in sight?
Falling into the pits is not unusual. It is what we are good at. Troubles will always be with us. Even Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trials.”
What we do in this situation however is very important. For a faithful pattern we turn to David again – for the next step.
Step 2 Cry out to the Lord
“He turned to me and heard my cry”
The inference here is that David is stuck….and realizing his helplessness, he cries out to the Lord for help. Crying out is also quite natural. People do this rather instinctively. The problem is that we often don’t know where or who to cry out to.
Although verse 4 was not part of our reading this morning, David says there, ”blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and not in the proud or deceitful.” In other words, if you are going to cry out…make sure you cry for help from the Lord who can help you…and not just to anyone.
An example of going to the wrong place is King Asa in the chronicles of the kings. In II Chronicles 16:12 we have the following short statement: “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.” Obviously, the problem was not seeking help from physicians. It was in completely ignoring the true source of healing.
Step 3 Wait patiently
God does not always answer when we wish. Waiting in humility and with patience shows our complete trust in the Lord. When will he come? When will he help me? We wait in trust.
We all have cases where we have prayed for years, and still no answers or results. Has God forgotten us?
NO.
Step 4 God saves us!
And then, God shows up! Have you experienced this? Have you ever felt saved by God? We probably all have at some time. That sense of relief, that sense of peace. Everything is all right after all. Of course, we’re aware of the theological truth of our eternal salvation – made righteous by the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. But I mean… saved in smaller and daily ways?
Once when I was swimming in Hawaii, I felt like I almost drowned, suddenly pulled out about 100 meters from shore by a strong rip tide. With much struggle and after swallowing a great deal of sea water I was able to get back to the shore. But I clearly remember the sense of being miraculously protected, even amidst the feeling of fear, embarrassment, and relief. Each of us no doubt has a similar story.
So God saves us. What’s next? Do we simply fall back into another pit of trouble….and cry out for help again, continuing this short cycle? Not according to David. In fact, it’s these last two steps that are so unusual and life-changing.
Step 5 God puts a new song in our hearts!
Sometimes we can force our worship. Occasionally, even when we don’t feel like it, if we begin to praise God, that very act can change our moods and hearts. I’ve experienced that many times. However, David speaks of something even more amazing than our hearts being changed by singing. He seems to indicate that salvation itself produces a sense in which God puts a new song in our mouths. Not a song that we have to struggle to sing, or that we have to practice…but one that flows naturally from our mouths and hearts.
In Acts 3 and 4 we have the account of Peter and John miraculously healing the man who had been lame his whole life. Because it happens on the sabbath, the Jewish leaders are not happy about this – and drag Peter and John before the council. In the end, the leaders whip the disciples and command that they stop speaking about this Jesus of Nazareth. However, Peter responds, ”we can’t help but talk about Jesus.” In other words, even if they wanted to stay silent, they couldn’t! Their experience of the risen Lord , as well as the indwelling power of the Holy spirit that they had received at Pentecost was so life changing that their testimony…their new song… simply flowed naturally from their mouths.
After being saved, we can’t help but sing praise to our God.
Step 6 Others will be watching and come to know God!
This completes the cycle. We don’t just jump into trouble again. Here we see that when God saves us, it is not just to benefit us, but to benefit others as well! God’s acts on our behalf are also meant as a blessing to others. Just as God meant to bless all nations through blessing Israel, God means to bless our neighbors through blessing us.
It’s common knowledge to say “no pain, no gain”. Everyone knows that troubles and trials can sometimes produce growth. But this last step is completely startling. Have you ever considered that your struggles and trials may not just benefit you, but those around you as well?
OUR TRIALS TODAY MAY LEAD TO OUR NEIGHBORS’ SALVATION TOMORROW.
At the end of this passage the Psalmist says that others will be watching us. What will they see?
Just like the prisoners were watching Paul and Silas in that cold prison in Philippi…and listening as they sang praises to God at midnight, those around us will be watching. What will they see?
They will see that we as Christians, are not shocked by trials. We have them too! They will watch as we patiently turn to the Lord and pray. They will watch as God saves us. They will notice that we will not take credit but give glory to God through our new song. This will lead many to see that there is something different about our faith.
Can you see the power of this faith cycle?
(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on September 24, 2023.)
Japanese Congregational Church 