Psalms: The Waiting Room
Psalm 40
June 9, 2024
Jay Haugh
God shapes us in our waiting.
Our waiting is rewarded.
God’s rescue.
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. —Psalm 40:1-2 ESV
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. —Psalm 40:3 ESV
Our reflection.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! —Psalm 40:4 ESV
The only condition: Trust God, not yourself or others.
You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. —Psalm 40:5 ESV
The Bible is not a book of conjecture or theory, but a book that reveals historical events where we see the power and profile of God.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you…” —Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works [deeds], which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. —Ephesians 2:10 ESV
You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! —Psalm 40:5 ESV
Our response.
In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” —Psalm 40:6-8 ESV
All sacrifices were a shadow pointing toward the substance of a devoted life.
Our devotion to God is a personal response, but it’s not a private response.
I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. —Psalm 40:9-10 ESV
Our waiting is recurring.
As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! —Psalm 40:11 ESV
For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. —Psalm 40:12 ESV
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! —Psalm 40:13-14 ESV
Obedience is our responsibility; the outcome is God’s responsibility.
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! —Psalm 40:16-17 ESV
Big Idea:
We live a life of devotion as we wait because our God is faithful and delivers.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Memory Verse: Psalm 23:4 NIV
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
The goal of these questions is to foster meaningful discussion and to encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word to lead to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.
Read Psalm 40
David says he waited patiently on the Lord. What emotions or thoughts well up in you when you think about having to wait for God? How has waiting refined you and your faith? What are you waiting for right now?
God took David’s problem and made it into a prayer. The prayer became a praise. This new song became an evangelistic track that brings many to the Lord. Your personal testimony about God working in your life, can be very impactful and can bring others to faith. Why do you think personal testimonies are so powerful in sharing faith? How can we make our testimonies clear and impactful for others?
Verse 5 declares that God has performed many wonders. Do you ever struggle with identifying or labeling something as coming from God? Do you credit God for moving in your life or do you believe that what has happened is solely a result of choices and decisions that have been made? How can we better recognize God’s handiwork in our lives?
Our past experience with God can build a foundation of expectation for what will happen in the future. Share a personal experience where you witnessed God’s faithfulness in the past. Does remembering God’s previous faithfulness give you confidence for present or future trials? Have you ever doubted God’s faithfulness? If so, what helped you regain your trust?
What does the Bible teach about the role of sacrifice in God’s plan? What would be our modern-day equivalent to the sacrifices of the Old Testament? When David states that God does not desire sacrifices, what is he communicating about what God ultimately wants from us? What does this look like in your life today?
Do you find delight in God’s will? Is God’s will clear to you? How can we gain greater clarity on God’s will? Have you ever felt a strong desire to follow God’s will? Conversely, when have you struggled to follow God’s will?
David proclaims how he has not restrained his lips and how he will speak about God’s faithfulness and salvation. As you think about sharing your faith with others, what fears does this stir in you? Before the Small Group meets again, who is one person you could have a purposeful faith conversation with? Why have you chosen them?
Can you resonate with the emotion David communicates with in verse 12? How does David respond when he is in this spot? From what you have read and learned in this psalm, how will you respond the next time these feelings crash over you?