David, the man after God's own heart. In Sunday School I was taught about all the great things David did, about how God put favor on him and blessed him abundantly. How David wrote a lot of Psalms. But what I wasn't taught about was David's brokenness, the despair and depression he went through as he was being hunted by Saul. Why were we not taught the whole story? Because I believe that the man of God that David became was because he turned to God to lift him out of the pit he was buried in.
Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
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.
Psalm 40:1-2 (NLT)
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
David cried out to the Lord while he was hiding out in a cave on the mountain side and was patient. There have been times when I've prayed and wanted an answer now and not waited on the Lord and have made the wrong decision. David cried out and waited for God to reply to him. In this verse he's suggesting that answers sometimes take patience and time of prayer. If you speed things along they may not happen at the time God has planned them for, so slow down and wait on the Lord.
God lifted David out of his pit of despair, all the dirt and grime that was burring him alive. God will not let you drown, he will deliver you from anything that has consumed you in your past. I have experienced this first hand. I can't believe I haven't even been in Fargo-Moorhead for four months because God has lifted me out of the pit I was buried in and has delivered me from my past. He has given me such love and joy. He has comforted me so that I may comfort others who go through something similar to my troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He gives me wisdom and clarity in His word. He has blessed me and is so good. No pit you are in is too deep for God to lift you out of. No matter what you have done, where you have been, God can turn your life around and give you a second chance... or a third... or a fourth. He just wants you to live as His son or daughter of Christ.
God took him out, cleaned him off and set him on a solid rock. God is our solid rock our ground to stand upon. He will never fail us because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8) and how God loves us! It's an indescribable love that is overflowing for YOU! Something that Pastor Bob spoke on at church this past Sunday was that God plans for good to come out of the troubling times and that because God is with you, your troubles are good. This spoke to my heart in such a big way because I know God plans to use my past and my struggles to build me up and to build up those around me, but I never really considered my troubles to be good. In my eyes there was no good in troubles only after the struggle did I see a greater purpose. So if you are struggling ask God to open your eyes to His purpose and the good that is there in your time of trial.
You may be wondering why I listed two translations of the Psalm when they are so similarly worded. NIV ends in "and gave me a firm place to stand" while NLT ends in "and steadied me as I walked along." I find comfort in both but would like to explain what my heart has explained to me. God gives us a firm place to stand basically restates that he has set your feet on a rock or solid ground, easy to understand. But "[He] steadied me as I walked along" says that as we stumble and start to tip over or fall that God will be there to steady you. God is so faithful, He will not let you fall. He is holding on to you and walks you through your life helping you over the cracks and around the crevices that can lead us into another pit and away from Him. Walk your days with Him and you will be steadied in your weaknesses! And in pursing a life with God you too with be a man or woman after God's own heart.
May God bless you in abundance and reveal His will for you. If you find yourself in a pit may God deliver you from your sins and transgressions. And set you upon a solid rock our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins to give us new life. Turn to Him in prayer and seek a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and He will steady you in your walk of life. Praise God for the joy we have in Him. Amen!
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