"1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 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.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in God."
Psalm 40:1-3
Today I was doing my daily Psalm reading, and Psalm 40 really got to me. I recommend you read the entire Psalm, but these were a few of my favorite verses. The psalmist is in incredible despair. He waited for the Lord and prayed to God when he could not handle it anymore. Then, God heard him and rescued him. Being in a pit of mud and mire, you are only sinking further and further down until you cannot help yourself. You would be so trapped that it is nearly impossible for someone else to pull you out of that wretched pit. The psalmist trusted in God alone to rescue him from sinking. He did not trust in man. When rescued, he was able to stand firmly. Given a new song to sing, he praised God.
February was a difficult month. There was a lot going on that I wasn't sure how to deal with. I was waiting on the Lord for answers I felt would never come. I felt like the psalmist: trapped in a slimy pit of mud and mire. I was sinking and no one could have helped me. Only God could bring me peace of mind and a clear heart. He always heard my pleas, and He answered my cries. Now I have clarity and a firm place to stand. I'm going to continue trusting in God. Finally, there is a new song to sing. Not a song of despair, but a song of HOPE.
