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Daily Devotion: Psalm 40:1-3

Psalm 40:1-3    "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  (2)  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  (3)  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit."  This first paragraph will deal with the first pit that the Lord God Almighty brought us out of.  We were dead in trespasses and sins. There was no life nor thoughts toward God because we were spiritually dead. Let me remind us of Paul's description of the state in which we were physically alive, but had no spiritual life.  "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)  Not only did we have no desire toward God, we were completely unable to do anything about that condition. It was only after the Lord came to us, gave us eternal life, and then lifted us out of the pit, that we were able to even have regret for the sin in our lives and have a desire to turn toward God.  "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit."

As a child of God, there have been times when I slipped into a pit that I could not get myself out of. Sometimes, we are in the pit of fear and anxiety. Sometimes, we are in the pit of loneliness. Sometimes that pit is regret for something said or done that was wrong.  Sometimes it is the pit of mourning. Whatever the pit that we as children of God fall into, there is great hope and assurance that when we cry out to Him, the Lord will "incline unto me and hear my cry."  We serve the true and living God Who is the source of life and the sustainer of life within us.  God does not wring His hands when we cry unto Him. He hears our cry for help. He comes to us by way of His Holy Spirit. He brings us up out of that horrible pit and sets us "upon a rock." That rock is none other than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

If you have ever experienced what I have just described, you know the joy that is in our hearts after the Lord brings us out of that pit. You know the song that is in your heart that gives the praise and honor and glory unto the Lord for His great work. It is important that we do not hold that song inside ourselves. By a song, I believe it is meant as an expression of joy.  It might be a literal song or it just might be the new outlook on life that is ours after we experience the presence of the Lord in such a wonderful manner.  It is important because there are so many people around us that need that same lifting up which we have experienced. It is important to share the power and grace of our Lord for "many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." 

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