Psalms – Prayers of Honesty
I am reminded of an old hymn this morning as I read the Psalmist prayer of seeking God and hearing His voice.
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
As this song runs through your mind, read David’s prayer of seeking, asking, repenting, and praising.
Psalm 40, The Message
A David Psalm
1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God.
4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
comes close to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
account for you.
6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
so I can listen.
7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
became part of my very being.
9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
let the congregation know the whole story.
11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.
13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene; hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
will be booed and jeered without mercy.
16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
but God, don’t put it off.
SOMETHING TO CHEW…
The Psalmist feels like he has been waiting for God for longer than is necessary, but maybe God is waiting on him. From whatever experiences led to the writing of this psalm, David learned some valuable lessons and gave us three important instructions to follow in the difficult times of life;
1. Praise God for All He Has Done (vv. 1-5)
2. Give God All That He Asks (vv. 6-10)
3. Trust God for All That Remains (vv. 11-17)
When we follow God, abandoning everything else, we realize HE is all we needed in the first place. So, give Him first place!
“He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God.” (Reckless Love of God)
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God,
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God,
(Songwriters: Caleb Culver / Cory Asbury / Ran Jackson)
HEART CHECK:
What has impressed you most about the way the Lord has worked in your life?
Why are sacrifices no substitute for obedience?
What motivates you to obey the Lord?
Dear Heavenly Father,
We learned early on in our lives that it is not the sacrifice of our time or our hard work that pleases you, but it is the abandon of all that is in us to you. It is giving you our hearts, minds and souls. It is obeying your commands to love you first and to love others like you love us. When we lose sight of You and look to ourselves or others, we fall down slippery slopes to pits of depression, worry, feelings of being unloved and devalued. When we look up, see your love, you lift us up from our mess and set us on higher ground. You cleanse us and set us free because of your reckless love that knows no limits or bounds. Thank you, Lord. Your child is listening. Your Word is my very being.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 