“Doubts and fears about the eternal state, are a horrible pit and miry clay, and have been so too many a dear child of God. There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough to help the un-worthiest of all that trust in him. The psalmist waited patiently; he continued believing, hoping, and praying. This is applicable to Christ. His agony, in the garden and on the cross, was a horrible pit and miry clay. But those that wait patiently for God do not wait in vain. Those that have been under religious melancholy, and by the grace of God have been relieved, may apply verse 2 very feelingly to themselves; they are brought up out of a horrible pit.”
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” – Psalm 40:1-2
“Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast. Where God has given steadfast hope, he expects there should be a steady, regular walk and conduct. God filled the psalmist with joy, as well as peace in believing. Multitudes, by faith beholding the sufferings and glory of Christ, have learned to fear the justice and trust in the mercy of God through Him. Many are the benefits with which we are daily loaded, both by the providence and by the grace of God.”
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"I do not hide (secrecy) your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly." - Psalm 40:10
ReplyDeleteThere are times that I must admit, that I have hidden God’s righteousness, because I am unrighteous. This is the very thing that makes us hypocrites…..we wait until we feel righteous….when in fact….we are not. Which literally makes us ‘self-righteous’.
I was watching the movie “religulous” last night…..knowing that it would turn my stomach. Bill Maher always turns my stomach…..but some of the questions that he posed were dead on. He exposed many of the things that are the ugly underside of ‘religion’.
I particularly enjoyed him talking to a self-proclaimed Doctor of Theology. This pastor had no degrees at all. Bill called him out on his $2000 suit, cars, homes and extravagant lifestyle that the pastor defended with some ‘Prosperity Gospel’ crapola…..but Bill quickly pointed out that Jesus lived in opposition to this. The pastor mumbled through and changed wording of Christ about ‘poor in sprit’, ‘blessed are the poor’….wait….errrr…….In a very strange and refreshing way, Bill was dead on.
If we hide Christ’s righteousness inside of us….we hide the only righteousness we have.
"He expects there should be a steady, regular walk and conduct." Isn't this, though, where people trip themselves up, in thinking that God judges them by their walk and conduct? Maybe instead of "expects," the writer should have written "wants" or "desires." If God expected perfection from us, he wouldn't have sent Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the writer was dead-on about verse 2. Having suffered from religious melancholy for years, David's image of being pulled out of a slimy pit and given a firm rock to stand on couldn't be more apt. Thank you Lord!
Whoops, left a dangling participle in that second-to-last sentence. You'd think a former English major wouldn't make that mistake. When I said "having suffered from religious melancholy," I was referring to myself, not David. Just wanted to clarify. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is the waiting and crying out to God that is the hardest. It is easy to read a line in a book and agree with it. I know that God is there and I know He has a plan for me. It is the crying and the waiting that truly tests the thoughts that turn agreeing into believing and taking it all to heart. To make it truly part of your very presence our beliefs need to be tested to see how we react under pressure. The pressure is where growth occurs BUT, it is neither easy nor fun. - Michael
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