May 10, 2020

In this psalm David expresses a broad range of emotions to the LORD: he celebrates God’s deliverance, praises God for his holiness and wondrous works, proclaims God’s salvation and faithfulness to others, expresses sorrow for his sins, asks God to save him from his enemies, and rests in God as his help and deliverer.

This psalm is an important reminder of a few key truths. It reminds us that, when we remember the ways that God has moved in power on our behalf to bring about deliverance and salvation in the past, we can have confidence that he will do the same for us both now and in the future! His grace and salvation towards us in the past guarantees his grace and salvation towards us in the present and going forward!

David remembered how God had saved him before and expressed confidence and trust in him to do it again. If God went to all the trouble of doing that for us in the past, he isn’t going to hold out on us and let us fall now!

Another truth that this psalm reminds us of is this: when we are excited about the mercy, grace, and salvation that God has poured out on us, we tell others about it! The LORD had moved in power on David’s behalf, and he couldn’t hold it in, he had to praise him to others!

The deliverance David received was temporal; ours is eternal. How much more should we be excited and ready to proclaim what God has done for us in Jesus Christ!?

Psalm 40

My Help and My Deliverer
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 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.
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.

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!
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.

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.”

I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.
10 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.

11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
12 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.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 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!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

16 But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 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!

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.


Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you and I praise you that you hear us when we cry out to you!

You have rescued, restored, redeemed and renewed me in and through Jesus Christ, and I cannot hold it in! You are holy and glorious beyond all understanding and imagination; help me to be faithful to proclaim your wondrous deeds before others!

I will tell of all you have done for me and be a witness to your love and faithfulness! I thank you for the promise of your mercy, for I need it each and every day.

Help me to continually place my trust in you alone and to rest in the fact that you take thought for me despite my poor and needy state. You are my help and my deliverer!

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

43 thoughts on “RHYTHM: DAY 21

  1. Dear Heavenly Father,
    Here it is, another day, closer to you. Thank you for giving me all that I have. When I look back on my life and see all that I have been through, it astounds me that I have survived. However, I know it’s only because of You, Lord that I am where I am today. You have blessed me with Your love and mercy and have sustained me. I praise Your holy name. When I cry out to You, I know You hear my prayers. You are faithful and true. Please help me to share Your love with others so that they too, can know Your peace. I rejoice in knowing You. Thank you for all You have done for me. Help me continually to praise and honor You all the days of my life so that I can live with You in heaven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

  2. Gracious heavenly Father, guide my steps away from sin and rebellion. Direct my steps to the solid rock. Rekindle the burning desire within my heart to tell others about your saving grace. May your people who are called by your name cry out to you for salvation, may they lift holy hands to you as they praise and worship you. While in your throne room this day, may we be silent and hear your still, soft voice. May we have confidence in your saving grace today and forever. Amen

  3. As David trusted you, help me Lord, trust you with all of my life. As I make plans, guide my steps, help me be aware of what you are doing around me so that I can join you and be a part of your kingdom work.

  4. Jesus drew me up from the miry bog of “worldliness” in 1991. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to my God. I still praise him and tell others of his wonderful deeds to this day.
    I will praise my God to my last breath!

    1. Thank you for all my many blessings: family, friends, food, shelter and clothing. You have provided for my every need. You have lifted me up and set my eyes on you. Thank you for my church family. May I be a blessing to someone today. Even so come Lord Jesus.

  5. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness in me. Help me each day to spread your word to those you place in my path that need to hear about you! Amen!

  6. I delight to do your will, O my God;
        your law is within my heart
    Just as Jesus delighted to do your will and always did the things that pleased you, so I also delight in doing your will. Lord, thank you for the new covenant in which you have written you law on my heart. Help me to always do the things that please you.

  7. Thank you for providing for all my needs. Thank you for my family and friends. But most of all, thank you for forgiving me for all my failures. You are a loving and forgiving father. Amen!

  8. Your lovingkindness and truth will continually preserve me. You are my help and my deliverer.

  9. Not my will but Thy will be done that You alone receive praise and honor and worship. I yield my will today to You, oh Lord, so that I might walk the path You are leading me down and I will follow the steps You have ordered for me today! May we trust our life in You so that we will praise You since You alone are worthy! May we continually share the good news of our Heavenly Father with excitement! In Jesus name, Amen!

  10. Lord, I’m grateful for the gift of hope. Thank You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  11. What a beautiful and deep psalm. What an articulate devotional prayer. Lovely, lovely, lovely❤

    This is a great psalm to wrap up the 21 days of prayer. Our lives are complex, but aligning life with the will of God reveals meaning and purpose. Living to glorify God yields a joy that is so immense, it brings a supernatural richness to life…this is unbelievable and unknowable to those who have not made the choice to accept Jesus and seek with all of their heart.

    The word that kept going through my head as I read the psalm was/is belief.

    I waited…

    Then, I believed and accepted…and He rescued me. He picked me up, dusted me off, and holds me with His right hand as I cling to Him. He showers me with love, blessings, patience, understanding, and forgiveness (to name a few). This loving Father ran to His wayward (prodigal) daughter (son) after a season of rebellion, but I realized that He never stopped waiting for me to return. He scanned the horizon everyday, ready to accept me back with open arms, the finest attire, and a celebration with grand provisions. And those provisions never stop coming…people to fellowship with and opportunities to grow in maturity. I don’t ever need to worry. He provides for my every true need. The more I share of my journey and revelation, the more aware I am of how He loves, protects, and provides for me.

    I read an autobiography of an amazing Christian woman, and have spoken to friends/family and random people that I meet. There is a common thread to people’s stories of conversion.

    I embrace struggle with excitement now. I know that struggle reveals a grand adventure, which will yield amazing growth. I want to mature. I want God to increase my spiritual senses. When He moves, I want to see. When He speaks, I want to hear. C.S. Lewis says, “Every story of conversion is a story of blessed defeat.” Through our struggles, God defeats the self and helps us learn to surrender our will to Him. He has give us choice, but His will is that I seek Him. I surrender my will to Him…and I do, with all of my heart.
    ❤?❤

    I am so thankful for this beautiful and prayerful 21 day walk through the psalms, towards love and maturity ?

    1. Nadia,
      I so love your quote from Lewis, “Every story of conversion is a story of blessed defeat.” We really need to be assured that GOD does defeat the “self” and helps us learn to surrender our will to Him!

      I, too, am thankful for these 21 days of psalms and replies….just so heart warming……

  12. Day 21 of our 21 days of prayer! Happy Mother’s Day! To God be the glory!

    1. Thank you, Lord for all the countless blessings you have poured into my life, one of which is the privilege of being a mother. To God be all the glory.

  13. Lord,

    Thank you for your holy word. Thank you for the beautiful Psalms, which tell such a beautiful story of your love and deliverance offered to us all. Thank you for the beautiful gifts your give to each of us. Thank you for the gift of motherhood! Please guide my steps for the rest of my days.

  14. Father, thank You for Your continued love and faithfulness towards us…as undeserving as we are Lord… Oh Lord, help us to encourage others by sharing those countless instances when You reached down and delivered us after we had lifted up our prayers…

    Thank You Father, for another one of Your beautiful mornings.

    Amen

  15. Happy Mother’s Day to all!
    Vs. 1, 8&16 – Help me To be patient Lord & to delight in doing your will. I will always seek you & rejoice in your “Greatness ”
    Since this is our 21st & last day for devotions I want to recommend to you “Coronavirus & Christ devotionals by John Piper. They are very good.

  16. Thank you Lord for forgiving me for all of my failures. Help me to be patient Lord and to do your will through out my life. Your love is sufficient.

  17. Dear Lord, that’s me in vss 16 & 17 – …I love your salvation & say continually, “Great is the Lord!”…but I am poor and needy (weak & overwhelmed at times), but You Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! In Jesus Name, to the Praise & Glory of Your Name, Amen!

  18. DAY 21! For those that made it to end, congratulations! I hope hundreds of new rhythms have been formed that last a lifetime.

  19. Our most gracious Heavenly Father we come to You in the name of Jesus! You are good all the time, this is the day that You have made and we will rejoice and be glad for sustaining us through the past weeks . Our life is in Your hands, that, we are sure. help us to tell others Your faithfulness in our lives. You are greatly to be Praised and we Worship You our King!

  20. Amen! Hallelujah, I give you glory and honor. You are my Lord and Savior. Thank You, Father for your underserving mercies and grace. I love You..

  21. To all The Moms , the Lord bless you and keep you make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace, Amen!

    HAPPY MOTHERS’S DAY!!!

  22. Praise God for the lessons learned from these Psalms. I pray that I continue to seek out Our God, read His word, and grow in our relationship.

  23. Thank you Lord for this study. It has been a great uplifting time with you. My we all continue to realize that even though we are not worthy of you, You love us anyway!!

    For your mercy, grace and undeserved love, I humbly thank you.

  24. Heavenly Father,
    Thank you for Your son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
    I thank you God for holding my right hand and teaching me to not fear, for You will help me in all circumstances of my life.
    Help me Lord to share the gospel verbally when You’ve blessed me with that moment and trust You for the results. I seek Your will be done and not mine.
    Worthy are You, Our Lord and God, to receive Glory and Honor and Power.

    In Jesus name, I pray amen.

  25. Dear Lord,

    Thank you for words of this Psalm that remind me that You are the one who lifts me out of the pit of despair, and You are the one that sets my feet on solid ground. You are the one who puts a new song in my heart.

    My joy is in You alone.

    Your unfailing love and faithfulness protect me all the day long. I am truly blessed.

    In praise to the One who loves me and gave His life for me,
    Diane

    (I have enjoyed walking in prayer with everyone these past 21 days. God bless you all.)

  26. 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.

    Love this- very true.

  27. Well, the 21 day plan is over but I am so excited to continue on into Nehemiah. It is going to be terrific.

  28. May I make You my trust, Lord, as You put a new song in my mouth with which to praise You. Amen.

  29. It has been a true nlessing for me in these 21 days of prayer. It has revived my spirit and grown me closer to my father and placed a desire to meet him each morning. The one day I missed i felt totally unprepared for the day and it took a negative turn and was horrible. I realize that in surrendering my time to worship and prayer sets my feet and heart one the right path each morning that allow him to guide me through the day. It has been a real blessing to share this time with my new prayer family to read your responses and prayers bless each day.
    Thank for opening up your hearts to help me open mine up freely. To God be the glory as we journey on. God bless you all. To God be the glory as he protect, sustains, provides, and leads us all.
    In Jesus name. Amen I

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