Trusting God through the Pit and Clay (Psalm 40) | Pastor Mark Lim

Thank you. Thank you.

Let's go. God bless you. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning, church family. Happy Lord's Day. I hope all of you had a good week in the Lord. We're going to begin with this first hymn, Rock of Ages. As we come before our God, encourage us to always reflect on why we come and not make it a habit, but reflecting on who he is and how we approach him.

The rock of ages, clap for me Let me hide myself in thee Let the water and the blood From thy wounded sight which flow Be a sinner, troubled me Sleep from wrath and make me blue Not the labors Not the labors of my hand Can fulfill thy lost command Good night, dear, no rest we know. Good night, dear, it's forever low. All for sin could not atone.

Thou must sin and thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring Simply to the cross I cling Without hope I come for trust Without hope I come for rest For the mountain now I cry Wash me, Savior, or I die While I draw a splinting breath While I draw a splinting breath When my eyes shall close and death When I start to go, see the arm I just to go, rock of ages, but for me, let me hide myself in me.

Rock of Ages, clap for me Let me hide myself in thee Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which flow Be a single double cure, save from wrath and make me pure Good morning, everyone. If you are brand new to church, we want to extend a warm welcome to you. Glad you're able to join our worship service. When the service is done, please visit with us.

Right outside in the courtyard, you'll see the canopy, the blue one, and you'll see our team members. We'd love to meet you. We'd love to provide some extra information. So please swing by after the service is done. A few important announcements for today. Well, one is a fellowship event happening today. The sisters are getting together for softball fellowship and there's a tournament going on. So if you wanna go out there just to observe and watch and fellowship, please go out to the park. It's Veterans Park at 2:00 PM for that tournament. Also this summer, the important thing that we were running is the Berean Distinctives Seminars. And we talked about how these are the topics that are on our membership class, strongly held positions within the church.

You are allowed to sign up for all of them or just the ones that you would like refreshers or to learn more about. So please make sure you mark that on the calendar. It begins July 1st at 7 p.m. over in the cafe. Also, for all the members, on July 12th, 2 p.m., we have our July members meeting. So please make sure to put that on your calendar. and there is going to be a fundraiser lunch that day. The youth group will be doing it. That way you can stay on campus and join that meeting. If you know that you're going to be absent, please make sure to fill out the form. You will receive emails and notices for that. Okay, well today, after the worship, we will have our brother Josiah Yang come up and give his testimony and be encouraged in that.

Right now, we'll go into time of offering. You can give offering both online Or if you have a physical check, please stop by the entrance. We have an offering box there in the back. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we are so thankful to you, God. Our hearts just rise to you with gratitude, just knowing truly that you love us, you care for us, and that, God, you lead our path, whatever that path may bring. And God, through the times when it's difficult or even times when it's good and peaceful, we know, Lord, you are leading the way, so we thank you and praise you. We pray, God, that this morning, as we've entered together to give you worship, minister to us through your spirit, through your word. Grant to us conviction. Grant to us knowledge and wisdom and understanding, but also, Lord, grant to us strength for difficult times. Grant to us strength for the times when we need to look to you and look above. So, God, during this time, we want to raise all of our attention and our affection to you, lifting up our worship, lifting up also our offering.

And we pray that all that would be pleasing in your sight. We thank you in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Church family, let's stand together as we come before God to sing these praises, worship, and say hello to those around you. Thank you.

Rizing, eyes are turning to you, we turn to you, the hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for you, we long for you. Because when we see you, we find the strength to face today. In your presence, all our fears are washed away, washed away. Hosanna, Hosanna, you are the God who saves us. They're worthy of all our praises Hear the sound Hear the sound of hearts returning to you Return to you Your kingdom, Lord In your kingdom, broken lives are broken.

You make us live. Because when we see you, we find strength to face the fear. In your presence, all our fears are washed away, washed away, Hosanna, Hosanna, you are the God who saves us, you're worthy of all our praise, say, Hosanna, Hosanna. Hosanna, you come out your way among us, welcome you here, Lord Jesus. Somebody just want to sing.

Cause when we see you, we find strength to face the day In your presence, all our fears are washed One more time, cause when we see you Cause when we see you, we find strength to face the day And in your presence All my fears are washed away Washed away Hosanna Hosanna You are the God who saves us You're worthy of all our praises Hosanna, Hosanna, welcome the way among us, we're welcome you here Lord Jesus.

Do you feel the world is broken? We do Do you feel the light is deepened? We do Do you know that all the time won't stop the life from getting through? We do. Do you wish that you could see it all? We do. We do.

Is all creation calling? It is. Is a new creation calling? It is. Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? It is. Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? Is anyone worthy Is anyone whole Is anyone able to break the seal And open the scroll The Lion of Judah Who conquered the grave Is David's root and the lamb who died to ransom the slave? Is he worthy, is he worthy of all blessing and honor and glory?

Is he worthy of you? Does the Father truly love us? He does. Does the Spirit move among us? He does. And it's Jesus, our Messiah, for whatever those He loves. He does. Does our God intend to dwell in that way, Lord? Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah Who conquered the grave He is David's ruler And the Lamb of God To ransom the slave From every people and tribe Every nation and tongue He has made us a kingdom A priest to God To reign with the Son Is he worthy, is he worthy of all blessing and honor and glory?

Is he worthy, is he worthy, is he worthy of all blessings? He is, He is, He is, He is, He is worthy, He is worthy of all blessing and honoring glory. He is worthy, he is worthy, he is worthy of all blessing and honor and glory, he is worthy. Good morning, church family.

My name is Josiah, and this is my testimony. From a very early age, all of my memories of church were being dragged out of bed because it was expected for me from every member in my family. It quickly became a daily routine in my life. I grew up being surrounded by church leaders and family members who had preached the gospel to me, but yet my understanding was still limited. Going into middle school and high school, I had heard all of the core Christian Bible stories, Jesus dying on the cross because of my sins. Amidst hearing all of this, I never felt any emotion to how I was living my life and the condition of my heart. I've called myself a Christian ever since I can remember growing up.

Going into high school, my life revolved around sports and having fun.

I was following the desires of the world, taking pride in my accomplishments, seeking for the approval of man, and seeking to satisfy the desires of my flesh. Being in basketball my whole life, the people I surrounded by were not great influences. Ever since joining my high school team, I was quickly influenced by others to start attending parties, start drinking, smoking. these things satisfied my flesh and quickly became regular events and activities in my life in high school during high school my desires and satisfactions of my life of my flesh started affecting other areas of my life my relationship with my family and friends especially I begun to rebel inside my heart towards my family I felt disconnected from them out of the pride and hatred in my heart.

When my brother got baptized and over time I saw their relationship begin to grow, I continued to grow in jealous hatred towards them. At the same time, my relationship with my friends at school began to fall apart. My friendships quickly became fake. The pride in my heart would push people away, judge people, believing every decision I made was right. I fell into a stage of depression in high school, convinced that the world was against me, that my family was against me, that God didn't love me, and he was unjust. I began to heavily rely on smoking as an escape to fill the void in my life.

During my junior year, my brother invited me to a gospel night. I just agreed to keep him happy, assuming it would just be another church event. When I got there, I was quickly asked if I was a believer. Out of my pride, I felt offended. I said I was.

He asked what it meant to be a believer, and I quickly summed it up as I believed in God, and I was a good person. I knew very well the things I said that night weren't true. My life was terrible. I hated myself. I hated God. I had no purpose in my life, no meaning. Over the span of my night, my brother continued to share to me. that being a believer wasn't just being a good person or that I acknowledged that God existed. He explained that for all I have sinned and fall short of glory of God, that God is holy and he must judge me rightly for my sin. And it is only by repenting and having faith that Jesus is the Lord of my life, that I may be saved. At this point, I truly didn't still understand what he meant by this, nor change the way I lived, but I began to question what the purpose of my life was. I began to question the rest of my high school, researching on what it meant to be saved by faith, but yet my life continued to spiral, losing hope, still living in the same sins, and still hating God.

by this point I've reached my breaking point I had no will to continue living I had no one to turn to nothing that would satisfy me I was completely broken and hopeless through God's grace I found myself at Berean in Romans 3 23-24 For all have sinned and fall short of glory, God, being justified as a gift by his grace through redemption, which is in Christ Jesus. I prayed and cried out to God that I was hopeless and I was lost and that I have strayed away. I prayed that God revealed to me the weight of my sins, that I needed him, that there was nothing else capable to save myself. from that point on i still struggled with the assurance of my salvation and fighting against my sin but by god's grace he changed the desires of my flesh changed my heart and allowed me to see my sin in front of a holy God and genuinely repent.

At Berean, and the people were able to continue to share God's word and challenge me. By God's grace, his gift of faith, he turned my depressive state into a state of peace. He continued to fuel my faith through his word. In Ephesians, for it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one may boast. He gave me the faith and the humility to trust in his word, that by his grace I am saved, that my faith is not because of anything I could do, but it was a gift of God. I can confidently say now that I am a child of a holy and perfect God, that I am sinful and was in need of a Savior, but because of God's love and mercy, he sent his son to die for me.

And by grace through faith, his sacrifice was sufficient for my sins. I humbly now understand I am still sinful, but my former sinful life is dead, and that I have been given a new life in Christ and committing to abiding in him. Thank you. Thank you, Josiah, for that wonderful testimony. Now, to participate in baptism so that I do understand and express union with Christ in His death and also union with Christ in His resurrected life. I baptize you now in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Amen.

Please turn your Bible over to Psalm chapter 40. I would like to read the entirety of the Psalm. And it says, for the choir director, a Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and he set my feet upon a rock. Making my footsteps firm, 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. How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. many oh lord my god are the wonders which you have done and your thoughts toward us there is none to compare with you if i would declare and speak of them they would be too numerous to count sacrifice and meal offering you have not desired my ears you have opened burnt offering and sin offerings you have not required then i said behold i come in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O God. O my God, your law is within my heart. I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation. Behold, I will not restrain my lips. O Lord, you know I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great congregation. You, O Lord, will not withhold your compassion from me. Your loving

kindness and your truth will continually preserve me. For evils beyond number have surrounded me. My iniquities have taken over 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. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me. Make haste, O Lord, to help me. Let those be ashamed and humiliated together who seek my life to destroy it. Let those be turned back and dishonored, who delight in my hurt. Let those be appalled because of their shame, who say to me, aha, aha. Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say continually, the Lord be magnified. Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer. Do not delay, oh my God.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you God for this opportunity to look at your word and the testimony of King David expressing what great mercies what great grace what great love he received as he trusted in you I pray Father God our hearts this morning will be encouraged it would be strengthened by all that you are and your great love for us we thank you in Christ's name amen we just heard a great testimony and man what an encouragement it is my guess is every time you hear a testimony from this pulpit you are also likewise encouraged because you're reminded you're reminded of what incredible mercies what great love and goodness god shows to his people and it's so awesome one of the unique joys that i have a pastor i have as a pastor is to be a part of these testimonies, to be a part of these baptisms, and it's such a great joy. Quick, little sneak peek into that kind of situation is sometimes, Josiah did a great job, and he doesn't seem nervous at all, but sometimes you get people, about 50% of the time, you get people who are nervous wreck. They have a hard time thinking. Sometimes we get into the back room to prepare. And I'm giving them instruction. When you get up there, remember to say your name, remember to do this. And they're just looking at me with big eyes. Nothing is registering.

And they're holding their paper. And I could actually like sense that they're just shaking so deep inside. I have to hold their shoulders and say, it's going to be okay. In those moments, I get doubly encouraged. Because one, I already know their testimony. And I am with them. I'm fellowshipping with them in their love for God. But I'm doubly encouraged because here and now, even though they're so afraid of public speaking, even though they're so afraid of getting in front of people and having that kind of attention, because they want to speak of God, they say, I want to do this. I want to do this. Because they get the opportunity to say, this is how good God has been to me. This is how much God loved me. So even if they're trembling, they say they want to do it. And so I have the unique privilege of praying with them. And when I pray, I typically say to God, I say, God, technically speaking, this is probably one of the more scary things they'll do.

It's not often that this individual will stand in front of 400 people and talk about their lives, expose their sins, but more so talk about your goodness. So yes, trembling voice, but heart full of faith. It's a sweet, sweet time. It's such a privilege as a pastor to walk with people that way. Right now, as we read this chapter in the book of Psalm, it reads 100% like a personal testimony that has been turned into a song of worship. And I hope that as we read it this morning, we will be so encouraged by a king who has technically everything, power, wealth, prestige, but also, you know that in his life, he's experienced all the highs and the lows. And he describes that in the pit of sorrows and the pit of destruction, he describes his experience and says, it's like quicksand, but through it all, his word is, blessed is the man who trusts God.

What a challenge for us, whether you're on the highs, whether you are on the lows, to go through it trusting the Lord with everything we have. So let's walk through together the testimony of King David. First, he describes this pit of destruction. So point number one is experiencing the pit. Experiencing the pit. And we want to see the kind of situation that he was in. What kind of experiences did he have where he was in such dire need? What kind of experiences did he have that he was describing it as this miry clay? He's so, so descriptive and vivid. He's trying to play the pictures of the mind to tell us it is a pit of destruction. In other translations, it says that it's a storm. The literal Hebrew word, you want to imagine something like a hurricane.

waves going here, winds going there, and moving you without control. And then he says, it's like miry clay. So can you imagine being in a storm in the ocean and then being caught so heavily in the sand, your legs are stuck. And the more you struggle, the more stuck you get, completely exhausted. This is the picture that he's trying to show us. So first, we're asking, what did he experience? but for you can you sympathize has there been situations where you felt like you were getting tossed left and right you know in recent times there have been people in our church where we're ministering to them because they've lost loved ones recently but there's a particular individual where this last two years they've lost not just one but multiple people in their family They've hit their own ailments.

Some of you guys in this room struggle with chronic pain, things that just keep going, and you just kind of conceded, this is the way it's going to be. Have you felt like that? Have you felt like you've tried, you've tried all the various advice, people give you tips, people give you their experiences, you tried this, you tried that, and you almost feel this frustration wanting to say, I've tried all that, don't you think I've tried? I think this is the kind of situation King David is describing for us. But what was his experience? When I studied this passage, I recognized that this chapter doesn't stand alone. I'm doing my devotions through Psalm right now, but it starts actually in chapter 17.

That Psalm describes King David already in a moment of desperation, wanting to cry out to God because he's frustrated. What is he frustrated about? In Psalm 37 verse 1, he says to himself, do not fret because of the evildoers. We know because of both other chapters in the book of Psalm or the stories that he had constant ridicule, he had constant attacks, he had people who wanted him to die, he had people who were straight haters and betrayers. So he tells himself, don't fret because of these evil people. Don't even be tempted to be embittered against them. And don't be tempted for sure not to envy them. And then in chapter 40, our chapter, verse 13, he describes more of the people that are around him.

So he says, be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me. Make haste, O Lord, to help me. Verse 14, let those be ashamed and humiliated together who seek my life to destroy it. Let those be turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt. Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, Aha! Aha! He is describing such a situation. And I wonder if some of you guys are in this kind of angst, frustration, where people are against you and there's nothing you can do. People for no good reason just hate you. They mistreat you. And you just feel this constant temptation to be embittered and angry. And if you look at this passage, there are people who say when you're ashamed, aha, aha. Take a moment to do good inductive Bible study.

Define, aha, aha. What is that? Initially, I wondered, ah, these are the people who are scheming. Aha, gotcha. Because that's what the devil does. He's your accuser. He wants to get you and trap you in your sin and your lowest moments. And now that you're there, it's the aha, I got you. Is that the way? Well, actually, this kind of aha appears in different parts of the scripture too. And every commentator who defines it says, no, this is more like aha. Why? Because there are people who delight in your failure. Think about being king. Think about leading anything. Think about when you had to manage something. Think about when you invested yourself and you did all of these things. And when you fail to have people just gloat in front of you, mock you because they were waiting for you to mess up, you can then imagine the kind of pain he feels.

You can imagine then the kind of frustration he feels. And I want us to experience that and then ask, have you been in these kinds of situations? But right now, as we're looking at this passage, we're saying, is that it? Is that the great pain from which King David wants to say, deliver me? I can't stand this anymore. Is that the plight of his life? Well, the experience of his pain is multifaceted. But in observation of the text, the greater frustration comes from not outside, not just life, but himself. Take a look at chapter 40, verse 12. Psalm 40, verse 12 says, For the evils beyond number have surrounded me. Yes, there are people and evil that is around me, but my iniquities have overtaken me so that I am not able to see.

There are more numerous than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me. The grief, the mourning, it's not just from people. It's multidimensional, multifaceted, but the more painful is his awareness of his sin, is the guilt he carries, is the feeling that he has before God so much shame. It's too weighty. And if you think about what he says, he says something really interesting. He says, my heart, my heart has failed me. What does that mean? My heart has failed me? Well, we can sense him saying, the heart is where you have your tribe, you have your conviction, you have your passion, you have your will. The heart's not willing. It doesn't want to walk anymore. It wants to just collapse.

It's in a state of helplessness. And the heart is saying, you're done. I'm done. I'm out. This is the pain that he is experiencing, and that's why in Psalm 38, verse 3, Psalm 38, verse 3, he says, There's no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation. There's no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden. They weigh too much for me. So Psalm 39, verse 8, he says, so deliver me from all my transgressions. The plea, the cry isn't, get these guys. In certain Psalms, he does say that. He said, God, you're going to judge these people according to your own time. But the plea buildup from chapter 37, 38, 39 to chapter 40 is, deliver me from me.

And so as I was doing my devotions, this reminded me of my salvation in my early years as a Christian. It reminded me of a moment that, yes, it was over 20 years ago, but it's so vivid in my mind. This is David's testimony of the burden of his guilt. And I felt it as, in my college years, near the end, as an upperclassman. On the outside, I looked like a productive Christian, growing. Not long-time Christian, but young Christian growing. I was working hard. I had a part-time job during college, and I was working. Then I was an administrator for a Christian club, basically president of the club. Then I was doing worship leading. I was serving on the welcome team at Berean. I was involved in a small group.

I was doing it all. But then, every week we had Bible study, I felt like I was confessing every week. Oh, I don't understand why I keep doing this. I shouldn't have gotten that conflict, but oh, my mouth, so arrogant. I don't know why I just keep talking like I know stuff, and I have to chime in. And I wrestled with my pride, and I was confessing it every week. And it was ridiculous, because in that pride, you think you know all this stuff, and you think you're mature, but every week I was also confessing as a young man, I failed to lust this week. I failed to compromise this week. and i just felt this frustration of i don't want to have to confess this again do i really want to go to another small group and it culminated into one sunday i remember distinctly and i think i confessed this multiple times on the pulpit even it was that uh i got up there early because i had to serve in a welcome team i was walking towards the sanctuary door and i had to stop because something in my mind told me, you can't get in there. How are you going to get in there?

And what I felt was, as a young Christian trying to mature, the burden of my sin was too heavy. So I just, so awkward, just stopped in the path and just looked at myself. King David is describing for us, my iniquities have gone over my head. It's beyond what I feel like I know how to take care of. Oh, I know how to tackle that. And he says, it's too much. So that's why he cries to the Lord. Lord, deliver me from my transgressions. Question for you, have you felt that kind of frustration?

Have you felt that moment of decision where you're thinking, I don't even want to try going into the service? Skipping Bible study tonight. Because the frustration of your sins of, by this juncture, maybe I should be over it, has been so heavy for you. I want to encourage you and challenge you. This is the pit from which we have to look up to God. We have to trust. And so there is a decision of, am I going to actually tell myself, you can't go in, or will I cry out like King David has? Seeing my helplessness, seeing the pit, seeing the frustration, this is the very reason why I'm going to cry out to God and say, help me. The very thing I know I'm supposed to do, by the mercies of God, I could ask him, would you deliver me?

Please help me. And King David from his testimony is going to say from this pit, God lifted me. God lifted me. Which brings us to point two. Those who wait on the Lord experience God's grace. Those who wait on the Lord experience God's grace. Today we get to meditate by King David's testimony on how God answers and how good he is. how he loves in precise ways to tend to you, how he shows his mercy to you, let's begin. He says, God inclined to me and heard my cry. Because it's a poetic form and we're singing this, I want us to have mental pictures. When King David is crying out to God, he says, I've been crying and I've been waiting. How do you think he was crying and waiting? Just stoically like, I'm waiting. Do you think that's the way that King David was crying out to God? When he cried and he says that I shed my tears before you, in other Psalms he says that he cries out to the Lord. Was he crying out like a man?

One single tear. Or was he wailing? Scripture says that he says in other testimonies, he says, I cry so much you can gather my tears and it will make vast cisterns. He is crying out to the Lord like a young child. Abba, Abba, if you don't help me, no one will. So then the picture is, we're full-grown adults, but we have to picture ourselves like his children because the picture is God inclines to me. He's leaning in, inclining his ear, but the Hebrew term actually means to bend down and stretch. It's like a father going down on his knee, getting down to his toddler age child and saying, tell me what happened. Calm, calm, tell me what happened. Getting on eye level with us, that's the love of God for you and me.

That's the love of God for you and me. The danger for us when we're in the pit is to assume no one hears. Why? Because we're in the pit. The danger for us is to assume no one understands, no one really gets me. God inclines his ear. He gets down to our level, and he hears and understands. It goes forward to say, he brought me up from the pit of destruction out of the miry clay. He set my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps firm. That's the stability we want. The frustration of, take it for a moment to think, how many pits do you think King David has gone through? How many pits do you think you'll go through? The frustration not only of, oh, this is so hard, but the frustration of, when will it stop?

The up and down, how come so much right now? These are the kind of situations that are so hard for us. And God says, I take you, not just relieve you, but I put you on solid ground. That's the love of God for you. And then he says, he put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. To know the love of God this way is to feel God touching the inside heart. That's what he means by new song. When we have a new song, that's not, oh, that's a fresh beat. When we have a new song, it's not, oh, I'm so glad that this group came out with a new release because it's fresh. Is God honored by our creativity? Yes. Is that what he's saying? They're like, oh, it inspired in me something. He tended to his heart that his tone, his heart, the way he's looking at everything has changed and altered.

It's new. God in his ministry to us is so precise and so deep. I want us to think more about his testimony because here after experiencing from his testimony, he can conclude, he can summarize a life principle. and this is what he says. Psalm 40 verse 4, how blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust and has not turned to the proud nor to those who lapse into false judgment. He's blessed, not when he's consulted 15 people. He's blessed, not when he's just in his own cave. He's blessed when he experiences all of this, but look at what he says. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which you have done and your thoughts towards us. Take a moment to think as an expression of God's love. He has done so many things. We can talk about his blessings to prevent different things that from happening to you to guard you, where he does not give you something that's beyond your capacity or he provides a way of escape, but he also provides for you to sustain you every day.

We can talk about his love and what he's given you through his church, through people, your family. We can talk about His sacrifice. We can talk about so many things. Have you considered also amongst those things are just His thoughts of you? Meaning, He considers you? It's in the midst of the pit where we're tempted to think, I think He forgot me. I don't know if anybody knows I'm here. That's such a despairing thought. but king david is meditating and he's experiencing no no god wondrous thoughts are not just good they're uncountable because it's so many this is like the considerations of a father considerations of a mother grandma grandpa and everybody who loves you combined into one it's the grandparents who are all the constantly did you eat and they want to put food in front of you. It's the mom who thinks, oh, it's cold outside. You didn't bring your sweater.

It's the father who thinks like, oh, he needs to man up. It's the people who love you who are sitting there like, oh, there's an activity going on. He's going to feel left out. Who thinks like that? Except the people who are so considerate of you. When we say God loves you, and you're tempted in the pits to think like, I don't know if he really notices. There is never a time when he's not considering you. Being encouraged today, the love of God is not just so big, it's also so many. Because his thoughts of you are uncountable. That's the experience of King David. And that's why in Psalm 139, verse 17. In Psalm 139, verse 17, he says, How precious also are your thoughts of me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I am awake, I am still with you. So although we feel like in the pits, although what we see is typically loneliness, is typically what feels like God has neglected me. His faith is rising and saying, no, no, Lord, your consideration of me is both deep and innumerable. So King David is reminding us today, this is the grace we experience through faith. And he experiences deliverance. We have to ask an important question then. Wait a minute. King David cries out. He's in the pit. He describes his agony and then he's praising god he's so good to me he inclines then he sets he pulls me out and sets me down and he makes me strong so wait a minute when did his prayers get answered question right like in in his life when did his prayers actually get in when did all those cries of agony when did all of those those days and nights of weeping being in pain and waiting on the lord when did that get answered that's a legitimate question isn't it here is our point to faith there isn't in this text an actual oh here was the situation he sent me an army a legion and he destroyed those fools that's not the story in the midst of the pit and you read the psalm, he kind of sounds like he's still in it.

Deliver me, Lord. Do not haste. Delight in my deliverance. He kind of sounds like he's still struggling. This is the faith that he is going to challenge in us. And the answer is a thousand years later. Turn your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10, verse 8. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 8. Psalm chapter 40, you saw that there were multiple pieces moving all around. It went from his cry to his praise to, like, I'm going to serve the Lord, to more proclamation and so many movement. And part of that is his faith was looking back, his faith was exercised now, and his faith was exercised towards the future.

These very words that King David spoke gets quoted in Psalm 10 and gets applied to the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10 verse 8, after saying the above, sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them, which are offered according to the law. Then he said, behold, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this, will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. You know, there are people that I would love to meet in heaven and would have a lot of questions for. King David is one of those at the top of my list.

I have so many questions about his experiences, so many questions about what happened because the story just doesn't tell us enough give me the juicy details but i actually genuinely look forward to asking him you already praised god and gave us a beautiful testimony but from heaven how does it feel to know the messiah is quoting your song and fulfilling every cry. I want to go to heaven and fellowship with King David and be like, I think I'm going to start using, I don't think I will be composed. I think I would say, dude, you know all that agony? You know how you longed for righteousness? You know how you longed for freedom? Above and beyond the freedom of those haters? You wanted freedom from your guilt, and you wanted freedom from your sin, and you wanted freedom from all of this pain?

Dude, in Christ, He freed you. How does that feel? A thousand years later, He fulfilled it completely on the cross, and He says, once and for all. Because I'm doing devos through these psalms, I can see how many times you cried out to him, Lord, when will you deliver me? When will I be free? And over and over again, you had to ask him, When, Lord, when? And then once and for all in Christ, he said, You're free. And you don't have to worry. Can I enter this place of holiness? Because Christ frees you and washes you. How did that feel? the frustration and burden of sin gets answered in Christ and you look forward to this day you look forward to this day I think fellowship in heaven is going to be so amazing isn't we get to share with each other the testimony we're not going to be comparing like oh who had it worst because there are some saints later on who can say to King David I had it worse than you right but we can each say he lifted me from the pit of destruction he lifted me from the miry clay and he set me on solid rock and we're just going to fellowship in Christ it's going to be so amazing but the appropriate response from us now here is to proclaim this for all his glory point three is in his testimony essentially what he's saying my honest assessment of this song is there's this movement of him just thinking about god's goodness but he's still crying for deliverance but in the midst of all of that what is the point is the point like i want

your sympathy all of you saints sing this with me now look at look at me and say woe is me i want us to just all feel broken and i want all of us just no no no he's gonna say let this all be for the glory of god so take a look he says in psalm 40 verse 3 he put a new song in my mouth and a song of praise to our God, and many will see and fear and will trust the Lord. Again, I think back to my younger days, I'm guessing a lot of you guys have had those moments, this journey. We're no different. You get saved, and then you're super just thankful, and then you get into evangelism, and you're just like, oh my goodness, I'm stupid. I don't know how to evangelize. So you get into apologetics, and then you're like, yeah, we need more of this. Everybody's children are apologetics. And then you realize, wait a minute, I'm still stupid. Apologetics is so good. But did pristine syllogism philosophy and did your argument, was that what God ordained? To make people fear the Lord? No.

Your weakness, your despair, your pain, God has ordained to use to glorify himself in such a way where people see that and they're scared. Isn't that weird? Right? Technically speaking, everybody in the universe should be depressed. It's when we have blinders on and we have false hope when we think, no, this life's going to be great. Everybody, if you can say with King Solomon, vanity, vanity, all is vanity, you have then half the story right. But in that moment then, we share actually a fellowship with the lost world and that fellowship is a fellowship of despair, of fear, anxiety, and agony over everything that's to come. But they look at us and they're like, how are you getting through that?

The loss of a parent, your loving father, your mother, your child, whatever it may be. How are you doing that? There's wonder in that. What power do you have? You get ridiculed and mocked and people are teasing you in your own devastation. How are you not reacting? There's power in that. And that's why Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4, 7, he says, but we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not us. The paradox. You feel weak today, stressed out, exhausted. You feel feeble and so fatigued you can't go on, but you're clinging and saying, but God is good to me. Great. There's not a thing wrong with that picture. That picture is beautiful. Beautiful picture of dependency and so this is why king david in his testimony psalm 40 verse 9 he says i'm going to read to us this text psalm 40 verse 9 i have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation behold i will not restrain my lips oh lord you know i have not hidden your righteousness within my heart i have spoken your of your faithfulness and your salvation I have not concealed your loving kindness, your truth from the great congregation.

He's preached of glad tidings, and he made this song so that the whole of the people of God can sing it, which means then he's not afraid of being exposed. Some of us, I think, are more inclined to hide everything we've been through, and I'm not trying to make you feel bad about it because I understand. Sometimes we get into a counseling room and people, they're the ones who ask me to meet. And I ask them, oh gosh, what's like really troubling the most? And I always find them making it seem not as bad. You know what I mean? They'll tell me the problem and then they'll talk about the solution. They'll just like, oh, but I mean, I think I'll be all right. And I'm sitting here thinking, I understand that, but please don't try to convince me you're okay. I'm okay.

And I understand why we do that, because we don't want to make too much of our own problems, right? We don't want to burden other people. But think with me here. I'm sitting here thinking to that individual, hey, you asked for this meeting. If you don't openly come and share the entire experience, how am I supposed to counsel you? Okay, take that logic. If we do not openly talk even about weaknesses, confession of sin, how is the Lord going to get glorified for His deliverance? How is the Lord going to be glorified for His strengthening? How is the Lord going to be glorified for His ministry. But there are people sometimes I meet, and I'm just wondering, again, do not be afraid to share the testimony you have of, yes, the sufferings, but also the deliverance.

There are sometimes people who go through hardship, and they say, I don't want all the attention. I don't want people for sure prying and asking all these questions. Just forget about all that. Be like King David. You know what? I'm going to sing about it. You're going to sing about it. You're all going to know because God is worthy of the worship. My weakness, his glory. And that's why Apostle Paul explains it to us like that in 2 Corinthians 12.9. 2 Corinthians 12.9, he says, but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12.10, For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, calamities.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. And by faith, he is teaching us. The pit alone, deadly. the pit with God is no longer a pit it's no longer a pit let us take the testimony of King David and be so encouraged yes there is suffering and we don't want to make light of it what I just said now I hope you don't ever say in a shallow way your suffering is really not suffering scripture does say to consider it all joy when you suffer trials of many many color So turn that ship around, man. That's such a shallow way of ministering to people and suffering, right? You have to be so careful because our Lord is a sympathetic high priest and we ought to be as well. However, even in the fear of being shallow, you and I both know we actually have nothing else but the strength of God.

So we will command both our own hearts and we will exhort every single person going through suffering. wait on the Lord God has ordained that through our waiting we cry out through our crying out we experience the fatherly love of his provision and through his provision he has ordained his exaltation and so King David says here at the end near the end in Psalm 40 verse 17 since I am afflicted and needy, still recognizing our dependent state. Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer. Do not delay. Oh my God. And the people who love his salvation for us, we should be ones who are saying, and in all this, let the Lord be magnified. In all this, in my suffering, in the pit, in the miry clay. And though I look so pitifully weak, Let him be glorified.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, this chapter of the psalm is so rich and so challenging. But we thank you for exposing us to it and encouraging us from it by the testimony of your servant, David. I pray, Father God, that if anybody here is suffering, God, it's real, but we want, Lord God, you in your comforting, mighty hand to minister to them and help their heart then rise to you in thanksgiving and worship. Lord, I pray, God, that you would be our stronghold. You truly would be our trust. Then, God, we will be blessed. We thank you. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Let's all stand for it. I love the voice of Jesus On the cross of Calvary He declares His work is finished He has spoken His hope to me Though the sun has ceased to shine Though the war of fear has lost Christ has triumphed for Him It was finished upon the cross Now the cursing has been broken Jesus, take a price for me Pulled apart and he has offered Paid the welcome that I receive Only I can coach my father Good in Jesus' righteousness There is no more good today

There was finished above my cross Death was once my great opponent Fear once had a hold on me But the Son who died to save us Knows that we would be free in time Death was once my great uproading Fear once had a hold on me But the Son who died to save us Rose that we would be free Yes, He rose that we would be free Free from every plan of darkness Free to live and free to love Death is dead and Christ is risen It was finished upon that cross All were due eternal glory To my Savior and my God I rejoiced in Jesus' picture It was finished upon that cross It was finished upon that cross It was finished upon that night.

Amen. Let us recite the Lord's Prayer together. Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. God sent his son They called him Jesus He came to Heal and forth Heal and down To buy my power An empty grave is there to save your name Because he lives, I can face tomorrow Oh, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because he is Amen.

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