WORTH THE WAIT - PSALM 40: 1-3

Christian Standard Bible (Psalm 40)

Psalm 40 - THANKSGIVING AND A CRY FOR HELP - For the choir director. A psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the LORD, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help. 2 He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the LORD.

BIG IDEA: WHATEVER YOUR SEASON OR SITUATION, TRUST GOD’S TIMING!

TODAY’S PSALM HAS AS ITS INSCRIPTION “A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING AND A CRY FOR HELP”

THE PSALMIST-DAVID (IN OUR OPENING VERSES FOR CONCENTRATION) IS CELEBRATING WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE…HE IS REJOICING ABOUT THE GOODNESS OF HIS GOD! HE IS TESTIFYING TO THE TRUSTWORTHINESS OF GOD...

AND I THOUGHT IT FITTING, ON THIS PRELUDE TO THANKSGIVING, TO GIVE EACH OF US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH DAVID IN PRAISING OUR GOD!

WE CANNOT ALLOW OUR SITUATION TO DICTATE OUR APPRECIATION...

WE CANNOT ALOW OUR SEASON OR STRUGGLE TO MUZZLE OUR PRAISE...

VS. 1: I WAITED PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD, AND HE TURNED TO ME AND HEARD MY CRY FOR HELP.

THE LORD IS WORTH THE WAIT, BECAUSE FIRST AND FOREMOST,

GOD KNOWS WHEN TO SHOW UP!

WE AREN’T MADE AWARE OF DAVID’S SPECIFIC PREDICAMENT (PERHAPS HIS SEASON IN EXILE), BUT I’VE LEARNED IN READING SCRIPTURE THAT KNOWING WHAT ISN’T MOST IMPORTANT - NAW, KNOWING WHO MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.

THE TAKE-AWAY PRINCIPLE FOR TODAY IS “WAIT!”

BEFORE YOU TIP-TOE OUT OF THE SANCTUARY OR CLICK OFF OF OUR POST - “WAIT!”

THE WAIT OF OUR TEXT IS OF PATIENT EXPECTANCY! (((OF HOPE)))

IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET THERE, BUT WAS WELL WORTH IT...

AND WHEN YOU KNOW THAT GOD KNOWS WHEN TO SHOW UP, IT MAKES EACH MOMENT OF WAITING EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT!

DAVID CRIED OUT (SAYS THE B-CLAUSE) - IT WAS A SCREAM...

AND IT’S CLEAR THAT THIS WAS DAVID’S ONLY OFFENSE OR DEFENSE!!!

THERE WILL COME TIMES IN OUR LIVES, WHEN ALL WE CAN DO IS CRY…ALL WE CAN DO IS OPEN UP OUR MOUTHS AND DECLARE, “FATHER, I STRETCH MY HANDS TO THEE - NO OTHER HELP I KNOW. IF THOU WITHDRAW THYSELF FROM ME, AAHHHHH, WHITHER SHALL I GO!”

DAVID CRIED OUT, AND THEN (ACCORDING TO GOD’S TIMING), GOD TURNED UP!

AND HE TURNED TO ME AND HEARD MY CRY FOR HELP...

THERE IS A CLEAR TIMING FACTOR TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD! - TIMING!

AND I SUBMIT THAT MANY OF US HAVE MISSED MOMENTS OF THANKSGIVING, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN IMPATIENT IN OUR WAITING!

IF GOD DOESN’T STRIKE US DOWN, THE MOMENT WE PRAY, THEN MANY OF US FALSELY CONCLUDE THAT OUR PRAYER IS APPROVED!

HERE’S THE FLIP SIDE: MOST OF US HAVE ALREADY MADE OUR MINDS UP, SO PRAYING TO GOD IS JUST A FORMALITY!!!

BELOVED, I IMPLORE YOU - AS YOUR PASTOR - FRIEND AND BROTHER - FIND YOU SOME WAIT!

ETHE ONLY THING WORSE THAN NOT WAITING ON GOD WAS WISHING YOU HAD...

GOD KNOWS WHEN TO SHOW UP, AND QUITE OFTEN, GOD’S TIMING RARELY MATCHES OUR TIMING...

PATIENCE IS LETTING YOUR CAR WARM UP, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING LATE!!!

NOT ONLY - GOD KNOWS WHEN TO SHOW UP! SECONDLY,

GOD WORKS WHEN HE SHOWS UP!

THIS TEXT IS SO RICH: VS. 2 - HE BROUGHT ME UP FROM A DESOLATE PIT, OUT OF THE MUDDY CLAY, AND SET MY FEET ON A ROCK, MAKING MY STEPS SECURE.

GOD SHOWED UP IN DAVID’S SITUATION TO WORK!

BELOVED, GOD DOES THE HEAVY LIFTING!!!

DAVID IS IN A PIT (PERHAPS NOT A LITERAL PIT, BUT A PIT NONETHELESS) - REMEMBER, IT AIN’T ALWAYS WHAT, BUT WHO...

PLACE LESS EMPHASIS ON WHAT DAVID WAS IN, AND MORE EMPHASIS ON WHO GOT HIM OUT!!!

WATCH THE MOVEMENT:

HE BROUGHT ME UP (FROM A DESOLATE PIT/OUT OF MUDDY CLAY)

HE SET MY FEET (ON A ROCK)

MAKING MY STEPS SECURE.

BELOVED, ALLOW THE TEXT TO TEACH YOU: GOD RESPONDS TO DAVID’S CRY WITH A DIRECT PLAN OF ACTION...

DAVID EXPERIENCES DELIVERANCE AND STABILITY.

DAVID EXPERIENCES BREAKTHROUGH AND BLESSING.

DAVID EXPERIENCES AN ANSWERED PRAYER AND A TIMELY GIFT!!!

HE BROUGHT ME UP!!!

PITS ARE WONDERFUL PLACES FOR GOD TO MINISTER!

WHEN WE GET INTO PLACES THAT WE CAN’T CLIMB OUT OF, GOD REACHES DOWN, LIFTS US UP, AND SETS US STRAIGHT!

THAT’S GOD’S PIT-MINISTRY!

HE INCLINES TO THE CRIES OF HIS PEOPLE FROM THE PITS OF LIFE...

HE STEPS IN (RIGHT ON TIME)

HE LIFTS US OUT OF THE MIREY BOG...

AND SETS OUR FEET ON SOLID GROUND...

GOD WORKS WHEN HE SHOWS UP...

ARE THERE ANY PIT-DWELLERS IN THE HOUSE OR ON THE LINE?

YOU GOT OVERTAKEN BY WHAT YOU STEPPED INTO...

YET, GOD SHOWED UP TO WORK...

REACHING DOWN AND LIFTING YOU OUT - SETTING YOUR FEET ON SOLID GROUND...

LOOK BACK OVER YOUR PIT-FILLED LIFE, AND THANK GOD FOR HIS HAND OF MERCY AND DELIVERANCE...

I WAS SINKING DEEP IN SIN....

GOD KNOWS WHEN TO SHOW UP

GOD WORKS WHEN HE SHOWS UP

GOD SHOWS US HOW TO PRAISE HIM - AFTER HE SHOWS UP!!!

VS. 3 - HE PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH, A HYMN OF PRAISE TO OUR GOD. MANY WILL SEE AND FEAR, AND THEY WILL TRUST IN THE LORD.

GOD GAVE DAVID THE (((NEW))) SONG!

GOD PUT THE SONG IN DAVID’S MOUTH (HEART).

IT WAS A GIFT… AN ADDED BLESSING!!

STACK IT UP:

GOD HEARS AND RESPONDS

GOD REACHES AND LIFTS

GOD GIVES US A PRAISE TO SING!

BELOVED, GOD IS WORTH THE WAIT!!!

WHEN GOD STEPS INTO OUR PITS, HE DOESN’T JUST WANT US DELIVERED, HE WANTS US TO BE WITNESSES ABOUT OUR DELIVERANCE...

THIS IS WHERE THE HYMN OF PRAISE COMES INTO PLAY...

WE ARE TO TESTIFY - TO WITNESS ABOUT THE DELIVERING FAITHFULNESS OF OUR GOD, SO THAT MANY WILL SEE - FEAR AND TRUST IN THE LORD!!!

YOUR PRAISE IS YOUR WITNESS!!!

YOUR SONG IS YOUR WITNESS!!

YOUR VOICE IS YOUR WITNESS!!!

SO, AS WE ENTER THIS SEASON OF THANKS, ENTER IT WITH A PRAISE ON YOUR LIPS...

WHEN THEY TELL YOU HOW GOOD YOU LOOK, LET EM KNOW - IT’S GOD!!!

LET EM KNOW, IF HE CAN DO IT FOR ME, HE CAN DO IT FOR YOU...

Tony Evans Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Waiting)

WAITING

A COUPLE went to the airport to catch their flight. When they arrived at the gate, they were told by an agent to wait to board. So they made their way to a spot in the waiting area and took a seat. They were put to the side but didn’t know why. People began boarding and as even more people boarded and time passed, the couple began getting frustrated. They were waiting and didn’t know why. After awhile, they started to get mad. They thought the airline was treating them very poorly by making them wait with no explanation and no time frame. Now, everyone had boarded the plane but them. They were going to be last to board the plane even though they were one of the first passengers there. All kinds of things were going through the couple’s minds. “What’s going on here?” “This is not right.” “We were here early!” Finally, after everybody else was on, their names were called and they were told they could board. The couple walked down the Jetway and looked at their boarding passes to find their seat assignments. Unbeknownst to them, they had been upgraded to first class! All of a sudden sorrow became laughter, sadness became joy, and they each added a pep in their step because they had been bumped up from coach to first class. They realized that, sometimes, waiting just isn’t all that bad.1021[Trials, Patience in]Ps. 40:1; Eccl. 7:8; James 5:7