Wait

I wonder, are there any Psalms that you feel were written with you in mind?

Of all the Psalms that I especially love, Psalm 40 is the one that speaks most to me. David describes being in a slimy pit that he can’t escape from (verse 2). There was a period in my life when I really felt I was in the pit, and I couldn’t see a way out. David says he waited patiently for the Lord, as he cried out to Him (verse 1). I’m not sure my cries at the time were particularly ‘patient’. I felt desperate. At times, I felt despairing. But there came a moment when the Lord certainly seemed to hear them, and stepped into my life to rescue me from a scenario that I could do nothing about.

His intervention changed everything for me and, from a seemingly hopeless situation, truly like being in a slimy pit, I found myself with a firm foothold (verse 2) and the chance to escape. I was so grateful that, eventually, I felt that I could really sing a new song of praise to God (verse 3).

But here’s the thing. It didn’t happen overnight. As I look back now, I know that Psalm 40 summarised exactly what seemed to happen in my life. Many years later, it speaks of a landmark moment of situational change in my circumstances that enabled me to be where I am now, doing what I now do. So, when I read (verse 4): ‘Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,’ I can honestly say that this is true of me.

One of the reasons that I say that this is ‘my’ psalm is that, during the time that I was going through this particular trial, a dear friend sent me a letter to say that she had been praying for me in my time of distress and really felt led to this psalm as being a word of encouragement specifically for me. She sent it to me as if it was from the Lord. It was like reading words written specifically for me and it gave me such hope and confidence. All was not lost, and God was sorting things out on my behalf.

God’s word is so much more than any other written word in existence. As the writer to the Hebrews says: ‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12). Rather, many hundreds, even thousands, of years after the words of Scripture were penned, they still have the capacity to speak directly to us in the here and now. So, whether you need to hear a word of God to your situation or to help another struggler on the road, may I encourage you to dig into its treasures. Let the word of God be a lamp to your feet and a light on the path (Psalm 119:115).