Psalm 40: Lessons For Seeking God When You Need Deliverance
Introduction: David lived many years in the wilderness fleeing from Saul. Although David sinned and made mistakes, he never lost his faith in God. God rewarded him by protecting and providing for him. At a point when Saul’s attacks against him had failed but other descendants of Saul still challenged his claim to the throne, David again cried out to God for deliverance. From David’s example, God reveals seven lessons for seeking His deliverance. These include: (1) patience, (2) trust, (3) gratitude, (4) obedience, (5) evangelism, (6) humility, and (7) prayer.
First, David praised God for rewarding his patience while he lived in the wilderness. When you need deliverance, God also wants you to be patient for His timing. Second, David praised God for rewarding his trust in Him. When you need deliverance, God also wants you to place your complete trust in Him. Third, David professed his gratitude for God’s faithfulness. When you need deliverance, God also wants you to be grateful for the times He has delivered you in the past. Fourth, because Saul lost his claim to the throne because of his disobedience, David proclaimed that he would delight in doing God’s will. When you need deliverance, God also wants you to obey His will for you. Fifth, overcome with gratitude, David stated that he would share the good news of God’s righteousness with others. When God delivers you, God also wants you to share the good news of Jesus and your personal testimony with others. Sixth, because David still suffered from his own sins, he asked God in humility for mercy. When you need deliverance, confess your sins and humble yourself before God. Finally, because David still faced enemies who sought to kill him, he again cried out to God for deliverance. When you need deliverance, God also wants you to cry out to Him through your prayers for His help.
1. Patience: When You Need Deliverance, Be Patient for God’s Timing. Ps. 40:1-2.
David praised God for rewarding his patience. After Saul’s efforts to kill him and prevent him from becoming king failed, David thanked God for rewarding his patience: “For the music director. A Psalm of David. 1I waited patiently for the Lord; and He reached down to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud; and He set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm.” (Ps. 40:1-2). God had rewarded David’s patience by lifting him from “the pit of destruction,” (Ps. 40:2). This was an analogy to Joseph’s pit that his brothers threw him into to try to prevent God’s prophecy from coming to pass (Gen. 37:22, 24). David’s kinsman Saul had also tried to kill him to try to stop God’s prophecy of him becoming king. In both cases, the plots to stop God’s anointed leaders failed. But in both cases, God’s anointed leaders had to be patient and endure suffering before God’s Word was fulfilled.
Wait on God and for His timing1
Be patient for God’s timing. From his trials, David learned to wait on God’s timing: “A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” (Ps. 40:1). “Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.” (Ps. 25:3). “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” (Ps. 27:14). “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.” (Ps. 37:7). “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” (Ps. 25:21). “Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are eliminated, you will see it.” (Ps. 37:34). “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and I wait for His word.” (Ps. 130:5). Any victory that Satan wins is temporary. God therefore wants you to have faith in His timing: “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (Jam. 5:8). “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” (Lk. 21:19). Do you trust in God’s timing?
If God does not immediately respond, trust in His timing. Although God will ultimately respond to your prayers, He will only do so in His timing. His perfect plans may require you to suffer or experience hardship before He blesses you according to His will: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Ro. 8:28). David had to wait to become king as God molded Him as a lowly servant within Saul’s court. David would later suffer under Saul’s rule. Yet, God used his suffering to mold David for His greater glory (Ps. 66:10). Abraham also had to wait to see the fulfillment of his promised son. He left Haram at age 25, and he did not receive his promised son until he turned 100 (Gen. 12:4; 21:5). “And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.” (Heb. 6:15). Even when it appears to be foolish to others, God wants you to wait on His timing: “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:14). Do you patiently wait on the Lord?
2. Trust: When You Need Deliverance, Place Your Complete Trust in God. Ps. 40:3-4.
David praised God for rewarding his trust in Him. In the face of attacks against him, David placed his trust in God. For this reason, God richly blessed him: “3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. 4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who become involved in falsehood.” (Ps. 40:3-4). “A man may be as poor as Lazarus, as hated as Mordecai, as sick as Hezekiah, as lonely as Elijah, but while his hand of faith can keep its hold on God, none of his outward afflictions can prevent his being numbered among the blessed, but the wealthiest and most prosperous man who has no faith is accursed, be he who he may.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 40).2
Praise God because you can place your complete trust in Him3
Sing a “new song” to praise God. David proclaimed that God put “a new song in my mouth . . .” (Ps. 40:3). Similar wording appears throughout the Bible: “Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.” (Ps. 33:3). “A Psalm. Sing a new song to the LORD, for He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” (Ps. 98:1). “Praise the LORD! Sing a new song to the LORD, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.” (Ps. 149:1). “Sing to the LORD a new song, . . .” (Is. 42:10). “And they sang a new song, . . .’ (Rev. 5:9a). Each time God delivers you, you should have new praises to share with others. Are you continually singing new praises to God? Or, do you mouth the words of old songs?
When you need deliverance, trust God and do not lean on your own understanding. As a person of faith, David learned to place his trust in God and seek to do His will: “How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,” (Ps. 40:4). “Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and cultivate faithfulness. . . 5 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Ps. 37:3, 5). “LORD of armies, blessed is the person who trusts in You!” (Ps. 84:12). God also wants you to trust in Him and not to lean on your own understanding: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” (Prov. 3:5-7; 28:26; Ps. 62:8).
When you don’t know whether you are trusting God, seek His wisdom. God freely gives wisdom when you ask for it: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jam. 1:5). “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6). “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me.” (Ps. 51:6). But many view the wisdom of God’s Word as a foolish waste of time. “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18; 1 Cor. 2:14). If you reject God’s wisdom and instead rely upon your own understanding the result is frequently disastrous: “There is a way which seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12; 16:25). When you need help, seek God’s will.
3. Gratitude: When You Need Deliverance, Be Grateful to God. Ps. 40:5.
David praised God for His grace and faithfulness. David gave thanks for God’s ongoing faithfulness. He also professed that God’s blessings were too great for him to fully count: “5 Many, Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; there is no one to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.” (Ps. 40:5). “In Psalm 8:4 David wondered, What is man that You are mindful of him? He considered the greatness of the universe and was amazed that God would think about man at all. Here he took that idea much further and is amazed at how much God thinks about His people. By implication he is also amazed that God thinks such loving, gracious thoughts toward His people, and so many that they are more than can be numbered.” (David Guzik on Ps. 40) (italics original).4
In all circumstances, be thankful for God’s blessings5
God’s full love and blessings to mankind are beyond our limited comprehension. David marveled that he was unable to count the fullness of God’s blessings (Ps. 40:5). When Job repented to God, he also conceded that he could not fully understand the fullness of God’s wonder and love for him: “Who is this who conceals advice without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I do not know.” (Job 42:3). Any time God delivers you from a trial, you should also respond with gratitude and praise for His faithfulness: “This passage demonstrates how gratitude for God’s great acts of salvation naturally prompts dedication to do God’s will and builds confidence for prayer for additional help. In the vow of dedication we also have a typological section of our Lord’s incarnation and obedience to the Father. The exposition idea of the entire psalm can be developed in a number of ways; this one captures the sequence of the psalm: God’s marvelous acts of salvation inspire praise and dedication, and on the basis of that the faithful continue to pray for the LORD to deliver them so that they might proclaim His greatness.” (Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 1 (1-41), Kregel Academic (2011) p. 871-72) (italics original).
David repeatedly praised God for His faithfulness. As our example, David’s prayers always included praises for God: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His faithfulness is everlasting.” (1 Chr. 16:34). “I will rejoice and be jubilant in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” (Ps. 9:2). “That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” (Ps. 30:12). “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have performed for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of mankind!” (Ps. 31:19). “The righteous person will be glad in the LORD and take refuge in Him; and all the upright in heart will boast.” (Ps. 64:10). “It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, Most High; to declare Your goodness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night, with the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, with resounding music on the lyre. For You, LORD, have made me joyful by what You have done, I will sing for joy over the works of Your hands.” (Ps. 92:104). “A Song, a Psalm of David. My heart is steadfast, God; I will sing, I will sing praises also with my soul.” (Ps. 108:1). “Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and flute. Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals. Everything that has breath shall praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” (Ps. 150:3-6). Don’t ever take God’s blessings for granted. In your prayers, are you praising God for His faithfulness?
Praise God in every context. Also as our example, David praised God in both good and bad times. For example, when Saul was trying to kill David, David wrote in one of his many psalms that he would always praise God: “A Psalm of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Ps. 34:1). Likewise, when Daniel learned that the king had signed an order that would result in him being thrown in the lion’s den, he continued in his regular praises for God: “Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and offering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously.” (Dan. 6:10). As another example, Paul worshiped even when he was jailed for his faith: “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father;” (Eph. 5:20). Do you worship God in both good and bad times?
4. Obedience: When You Need Deliverance, Obey God’s Will For You. Ps. 40:6-8.
David proclaimed that he delighted in obeying God’s will. Knowing that God removed the throne of Israel from Saul for his rebellion, David stated his delight in obeying God: “6 You have not desired sacrifice and meal offering; You have opened my ears; You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come; it is written of me in the scroll of the book. 8 I delight to do Your will, my God; Your Law is within my heart.’” (Ps. 40:6-8). David was not intending to disavow blood sacrifices, which were necessary for atonement. He instead was affirming that he would not mindlessly act through religious rituals. He would show his devotion through obedience.
Find delight in doing God’s will6
The original meaning for David’s psalm. This psalm pointed to the fulfillment of Samuel’s prophecy against Saul: “Psalm 40:6-8 (MT 40:7-9) seems to reflect Samuel’s confrontation of Saul’s disobedience in 1 Sam. 15:22-23. Samuel had communicated Yahweh’s intention for Saul to devote the Amalekites to the ban (1 Sam. 15:1-3). Rather than devote them to destruction, Saul and his army spared Agag and the best of the plundered animals (1 Sam. 15:9). When Samuel confronted him, Saul protested that the animals were spared to be sacrificed to Yahweh (1 Sam. 15:15). Samuel then explained to Saul that Yahweh wanted obedience, not sacrifice. . . Samuel restates Saul’s rejection in 1 Sam. 15:26, before declaring to Saul that Yahweh has torn the kingdom from him and given it to one better than Saul (1 Sam. 15:28). Samuel anoints David king in the very next chapter (1 Sam. 16), and the Spirit of Yahweh leaves Saul and rushes upon David (1 Sam. 16:13-14).” (James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. I: Psalms 1-72) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 433).
Jesus also came to fulfill David’s psalm. Jesus later referenced Psalm 40:7 to reveal that all the events in the Torah pointed to Him as the Messiah: “You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me;” (Jo. 5:39). The book of Hebrews also quotes David’s psalm to confirm both that the Torah was written about Jesus, and that Jesus came to fulfill the law of animal sacrifices by becoming the perfect sacrifice: “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘You have not desired sacrifice and offering, but you have prepared a body for me; You have not taken pleasure in whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin. ‘Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (it is written of Me in the scroll of the book) to do Your will, O God.”’ (Heb. 10:5-7). “In a far lesser sense David could say this of himself, because his ascension to the throne of Israel was prophesied long before it took place. Yet any fulfillment of this in David is a pale shadow to its amazing and perfect fulfillment in David’s greater Son, Jesus the Messiah.” (David Guzik on Ps. 40).
Show your worship through your obedience. The prophet Samuel stated that God desires your obedience more than your sacrifice: “Samuel said, ‘Does the LORD have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice, and to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.’” (1 Sam. 15:22). As our example, Jesus lived in obedience to the will of God the Father: “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.”’ (Jo. 4:34). “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (Jo. 6:38). According to the Apostle Paul, you are a slave to whatever you serve: “[Y]ou are slaves of the one whom you obey . . ” (Ro. 6:16(b); Gal. 4:7-9). Jesus also said, if you love Him, you will keep His commandments (Jo. 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 Jo. 5:3; 2 Jo. 1:6). His “disciples” were the “disciplined ones” in keeping His commandments. As bondservants or freed slaves, they were obedient out of love, not obligation. Whether you follow Jesus and His commandments out of love instead of obligation is a test for whether you really know God (1 John 2:3). Satan has placed your flesh at war with God’s Spirit (Gal. 5:17; 1 Tim. 1:10). In the end, you must pick which you will serve: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Matt. 6:24). Are you trying to serve two masters? Or, are you being obedient to God?
Obey the Holy Spirit. David said that the “Law is within my heart.” (Ps. 40:8). The Holy Spirit has written God’s Law on your heart so that He can guide you and protect you: “revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Cor. 3:3). Are you obeying the Spirit so that He can protect you?
Meditate on God’s Word with prayer and then obey God’s will. For God’s Law to be “within [David’s] heart” (Ps. 40:8) he had to memorize and meditate on it. The psalms are filled with encouragement to meditate on God’s Word: “…meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.” (Ps. 4:4). “I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, and my spirit ponders:” (Ps. 77:6). “The LORD will send His goodness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life.” (Ps. 42:8). “I will bless the LORD who has advised me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.” (Ps. 16:7). While eastern forms of mediation involve emptying your mind, Judeo-Christian mediation involves filling your mind with God’s Word. Are you reading God’s Word and meditating upon its application to you?
Obey God’s will, and He will add everything else you need. If you seek God’s kingdom, His righteousness, and His wisdom, He also promises to provide for your needs: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33). “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (Jo. 15:7). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6). “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps. 37:4). If you diligently seek Him, you will also find Him: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8). Are you obeying God’s will in your life and trusting Him to provide for you?
5. Evangelism: When God Delivers You, Share Jesus’ Good News. Ps. 40:9-10.
David proclaimed that he would share the good news of God’s righteousness. To encourage others who were filled with doubt, David promised to share God’s good news: “9 I have proclaimed good news of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, Lord, You know. 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your mercy and Your truth from the great congregation.” (Ps. 40:9-10). David shared his personal testimony with others to inspire them that they could also trust in God’s righteousness and faithfulness. His words also foreshadowed Jesus’ Great Commission.
Share the good news by fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission. David previously stated that “I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.” (Ps. 22:22). “I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty people.” (Ps. 35:18). He also said that a future generation would “come and will declare His righteousness” (Ps. 22:31). This foreshadowed Jesus’ Great Commission to share His offer of salvation: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20). Are you sharing Jesus’ good news?
Share the good news that Jesus’ painful death made eternal life possible. David’s suffering served a greater purpose. God molded him through his suffering. His suffering also foreshadowed Jesus’ future suffering (Ro. 8:28). Jesus’ suffering also served a purpose. Without His suffering, no one could be made righteous before God: “[T]here is no one who does good.” (Ps. 14:1; 53:1; 143:2; Rom. 3:10-11). Only the blood of Christ can save you from judgment (Acts 4:12). The shedding of His blood symbolized the exchanging of His life for yours (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22). “God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood.” (Rom. 3:25). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, . . .” (Gal. 3:13). When someone around you is suffering, will you share with them the good news?
Share the love of Jesus when someone feels alone, in pain, judged, or worthless. For Jesus, it was a “joy” for Him to suffer a painful death because it meant that we could be reconciled to Him (Heb. 12:2). Out of love, His desire is to be reconciled to you: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Jo. 3:16). “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (Jo. 10:11). “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (Jo. 15:13). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Ro. 5:8). Are you encouraging others who are trapped in despair or doubt?
6. Humility: When You Need Deliverance, Humble Yourself Before God. Ps. 40:11-12.
David asked God for mercy and compassion as he suffered from his own sins. Although David was a hero of the faith, he was still a sinner. Thus, he appealed to God for mercy: “11 You, Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your mercy and Your truth will continually watch over me. 12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me; my guilty deeds have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; they are more numerous than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me.” (Ps. 40:11-12). David suffered from his own poor choices. He had no right to demand anything from God. Thus, he pleaded with God to show him compassion and lift the punishment that he deserved.
David approached God with humility. David was always quick to confess and repent of his sins: “my guilty deeds have overtaken me,” (Ps. 40:12). “For my guilty deeds have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.” (Ps. 38:4). “I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your truth; for You have made Your word great according to all Your name.” (Ps. 138:2). When you sin, confess them before God in humility and ask for forgiveness.
Humble yourself so that God can also exalt you without pride. God wants you to be humble so that He can exalt you in heaven without any pride. David promised: “11 But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. . . Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked.” (Ps. 37:11, 16). “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5 KJV). “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14). “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.” (Lk. 1:52). “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Prov. 29:23). “‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”’ (Jam. 4:6(b)). “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (Ja. 4:10). “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,” (1 Pet. 5:6). Are you staying humble so that He can later exalt you without pride?
If a nation humbles itself before God, He will deliver it. God also promises to deliver any nation that humbles itself before Him: “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chr. 7:14). It is the role of the Church to pray and be His salt and light in leading the nation to repent. Is your church fasting and praying for your nation to return to God in humility?
7. Prayer: When You Need Deliverance, Pray in Faith For God’s Help. Ps. 40:13-17.
David prayed for God to rescue him from his enemies who continued to oppose him. Because David still faced enemies who challenged him, he again appealed for God’s help: “13 Be pleased, Lord, to rescue me; hurry, Lord, to help me. 14 May those be ashamed and humiliated together who seek my life to destroy it; may those be turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt. 15 May those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, ‘Aha, aha!’ 16 May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation continually say, ‘The Lord be exalted!’ 17 But I am afflicted and needy; may the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my savior; do not delay, my God.” (Ps. 40:13-17). It was not a sin to call out to God for help. It would have instead been a sin if David felt that he could handle his trials without God’s help.
David cried out for God’s deliverance7
Cry out to God when you are in need of deliverance. David concluded by twice crying out: “rescue me; hurry, Lord, to help me . . . do not delay, my God.” (Ps. 40:13, 17). David made similar cries for help throughout the psalms: “Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation!” (Ps. 38:22). “A Psalm of David; for a memorial. God, hurry to save me; LORD, hurry to help me! . . . But I am afflicted and needy; hurry to me, God! You are my help and my savior; LORD, do not delay.” (Ps. 70:1,5). “God, do not be far from me; My God, hurry to my aid!” (Ps. 71:12). “A Psalm of David. LORD, I call upon You; hurry to me! Listen to my voice when I call to You!” (Ps. 141:1). From David’s example, God also wants you to depend upon Him and cry out for His deliverance.
Praise Jesus for His protection. Jesus is your rock. Thus, He deserves your praise for His protection: “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,” (2 Sam. 22:47; 22:3). “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” (Dt. 32:4). “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps. 18:2, 31, 46; 19:14). Do you praise Jesus for His protection and deliverance in your life?
Image credit: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Psalm/40/8↩︎
Image credit: The Fountain of Life Church: August 2014↩︎