Devotion:
Read Psalm 40:1-8.
The psalmist writes about being in a difficult situation, which he describes as a slimy pit. Those words prompt us to imagine trying to climb out of that slippery hole, falling back each time. The psalmist describes having been stuck in mud and mire, which brings to mind a slow, difficult slogging walk, sinking deeper into the mire even as we struggle to move along. These are powerful images of life lived on our own, depending entirely on our own resources and not doing very well. Then God put the psalmist’s feet on a rock, and immediately we think of solid footing, a good foundation, and something firm and lasting on which to depend. This transformation is not just about pits, mud, and rock; but rather, it is about having God’s word and will for our lives to stand on.
I cannot imagine how people who do not have a relationship with God make it through life. It is not as if believers are somehow sheltered from loss, illness, struggles and tragedies. But we have this rock to stand on that gives us something we can count on. Isn’t it interesting that the psalmist now has a new song -– a hymn, not of petition or want, but a hymn of praise to God?
Personal Worship Option:
Think back about a time or times in your life when you struggled on your own, perhaps without leaning on God or perhaps just trying to make it on your own. Give thanks for the rock that God has placed you on, the rock of faith that assures us we are not alone in life.
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