Psalm 40:13-15
13 Be pleased,
O Lord, to deliver me!
O Lord, make
haste to help me!
14 Let those be put
to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my
life;
let those be turned
back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be
appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha,
Aha!”
David has reminded us in
this psalm about the importance of trusting God. He has taken the time to
remember the character of God and how He has given him a sure place to stand
on. God has transformed his life and given him a new song of praise. His
deliverance has been timely, and David’s praise has been clear. David has not
forgotten his own sinfulness, nor the mercy and forgiveness he has found in the
Lord.
David’s problems and
difficulties have not disappeared; they have not become easier to deal with.
His enemies are always ready to find pleasure in his demise. But his past
experiences and what he has learned about his God continue to guide him in his
path of trust.
Those who know God have
learned the same things that David did, and should never be moved by
difficulties and circumstances to take matters in their own hands. They should
continue to trust the meticulous sovereignty of God.
I find that all too often,
my own thoughts and efforts are spent in thinking about the ways I want
circumstances and people to change, instead of asking myself how God wants me
to change.
When we find ourselves
dealing with difficult situations or people, we become distracted by the
external, instead of thinking about what God is purposing in our lives. We
concentrate on the actions of people we cannot change, instead of asking God to
work in us His perfect will.
David is asking God to
intervene; he is not being fatalistic: he is plainly trusting God to do His
work. He trusts the hand of God. He has learned to trust His character, His
wisdom, His power, and His love.
And he knows that the
outcome is really in the hands of the God who has proved Himself faithful, over
and over. As we read this psalm, David has walked us through the wonderful
truths about God, the reality of his sinfulness, the assurance of God’s mercy
and his dependence on God.
I know that if I took the
time to remember these aspects of my life, my impatience and disappointment
would fade, giving room to contentment and trust.
I am sure that we all can
think of some things that we would love to see happen in our lives. Life can be
hard; people are ungodly, and at times those who disappoint us the most are
even the believers from whom we would expect better behavior. We are constantly
driven to choices: trust God, take things into our own hands, or become bitter
and unhappy.
Romans 8:28-29
And we know that for those
who love God all things work together for good, for those who
are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he
also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order
that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
We cherish these verses,
but too often we stop at the word “good”, filling in our own definition of what
we feel is good for us. When we have decided in our heart what is “good”, we then
become disappointed when the circumstances do not match our definition of
“good”.
We forget that the One who
decides is the One who has a perfect purpose. The circumstances and people
surrounding us are not obstacles to our good, but God’s careful choice of
instruments for His perfect purpose. We were not chosen by God to be
comfortable in this world, but to be conformed to the image of His beloved Son.
As we pray to God for His
help to navigate circumstances and the behavior of people around us, we should
always be asking ourselves how God is using them to mold us into the image of
Christ. We should ask ourselves if we are resisting His work, or joyfully
submitting to His shaping of us. Our reactions will expose what our ultimate
goals are - our own comfort, or our desire to be more like Christ.
The funeral for my mother
and our time in Italy
David, although we don’t
forget his sins and mistakes, has left us a great example of God’s mercy and
work in the life of one of His children. Our past sins should remind us of
God’s mercy, and our present difficulties should drive us to desire God’s
transforming work in our lives.
May our lives bring
attention to God and not to ourselves!
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