Psalm 40

David tells of how the Lord rescued him. He felt like he was in a slimy pit, and God lifted him out and placed him on a rock. That is what God does with our lives when He brings us to Christ, and it is what He does when after becoming Christians we encounter difficult situations. We can feel as if we are in a dirty hole with no way of clambering out, but God lifts us out and places us upon firm ground.

During the time in the pit our hearts can be full of woe, but after being rescued He puts a new song in our mouth. God is always doing new things in our lives and showing us new aspects of His glory, that is why we can sing new songs. There is always more of God's glory to discover. If you are in a pit just now, know this, it is God's purpose to reveal new things to you.

When in trouble our reaction can sometimes be to see if there is any sacrifice or religious act we can perform to persuade God to change things. David learnt that this is not what God desires. He then says that God opened his ears. God uses difficult times to teach us to listen to Him, to hear Him in new ways. Obedience is what God desires, and for us to tell of His glory.

Then at the end of the Psalm is seems that David is still in trouble and knows that he is utterly dependent upon the grace of God. Sometimes after being rescued we can become all self-confident in the wrong way, trusting in ourselves. We are always 100% dependent upon the goodness of God.