Pure in Heart #2

Last week, we found out how we can see God more clearly as a deliverer.  It takes a healthy understanding of what you've been through and God's place in it to see God as your deliverer.  What about when you are in the midst of something?  How can we form our hearts to see God in the present situation?

Psalm 40 gives us the answer.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Let's start near the end.  David acknowledges that he is facing a difficult situation (v. 12-15).
Still, he believes that he will rejoice in God his deliverer (v. 16-17).
How can he stay confident when he is seemingly surrounded by the enemy?  For that we go back to the beginning of the Psalm.

Being Patient is Key

David acknowledged that he had waited for God before, and he heard his cry (v.1).  He knew that it took patience sometimes to get God to respond.  This isn't because God is cruel or lazy, but He operates in His own timing and we need to trust Him in that timing.  If we will be patient with God, He will reward our faithfulness to Him.

What You Get From Waiting

David knew that being patient and trusting God worked out.  By waiting on God, he had been brought out of the depths of his despair and established on a firm footing in God (v.2).  God gave David a song to sing that praised Him and worked as a witness to others. (v.3)  He was blessed with this because he trusted God and was patient instead of proud and impatient (v.4).

We all have been in some messy and terrible situations.  Yet, God is able to pull us out no matter how deep those situations go.  God's going to not only pull us out, but put us back into a firm place in His Kingdom.  Along with that firm footing, we will be blessed to have a song to sing and praise to extoll to God and to use as witness to others.  This all results from trusting God to pull us out instead of trying to do it ourselves because we are proud or impatient.

Seeing The Vastness of God's Mercy and Provision

David tells us that it isn't one time God helped him and Israel out, but so many times he couldn't recount them all (v.5).  If we were to look back at David's recorded life, we would have trouble spotting all the times God helped him out.  There are probably countless untold times God extended His grace and mercy to David, both great and small. 

The same can be said for us.  In a given day, God gives us oxygen to breath, the means to do our daily activities, and so many unseen and unrecognized blessings that without we would die.  God does more than we can praise Him for.  Sometimes acknowledging this is more powerful than trying to list them all out because it allows us to see God in a vast perspective. When we can see God for all that He does in our lives, God's role in our lives will expand as well.  He will go from just being a point on the horizon to the entire ocean surrounding us with His love and blessings.

Responding to the Vastness

David goes on to show how he responded to the rich blessings of God.  He did God's will with delight and put the law of God in his innermost being (v.8) He reached out to people to live the right way , not holding back the importance of following God's way (v.9-10).  He was committed to putting God at the forefront of his life and helping others do the same.

If we will have the same passion to live for God and spread His precepts to those around us that David did, we will receive blessings from God (v.11).  We will be able to call on God in the midst of our greatest troubles confident that He will see us through.  Because we know what he has already done, we can know what He will soon do.


Reflection
Commit to waiting on God for the answer to your situation.
As you wait, think back to all the times He has come through for you
Is your list as innumerable as David's and Israel's?
Use that innumerable list to light your passion as you follow God and reach for others.