Psalm 40:1-3

New International Version

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.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

For Encouragement

I want to sing my heart out to the Lord our God this morning, for He has been too good to me. O, how I wish you could join me in praising God for His goodness and loving-kindness. Only I do not know if you would do that.

You ask, “How can I join you if I do not know the cause of your joy to inspire me to sing with you?”

Poor soul! Suppose you could raise your head from your hardships and sorrows—your brokenness and dejection—and look into the face of our exalted King of glory, Jesus Messiah. In that case, you will have no reason to seek inspiration from anybody to praise Him. You know how much your Redeemer has done for you. How could you not shout and dance like a mad person to Him with instruments of praise and worship? If you did, David would not have a place compared to you on the dance floor.

What are you that Jesus did not fashion? Who are you that He did not make? How did you get where you are that Jesus did not set you up and raise you? And since He did all those for you and much more, how could you not sing His praises today? There is too much of His goodness flowing in your life to shut up and refuse to praise the Lord in songs and dancing.

David could not sit on his joy in the Lord and let stones praise his God (Psalm 40; Luke 19:40). He had endured too much suffering and pain to close his heart to worship. He had waited patiently for too long for the Lord’s deliverance from all his renegade troubles with Saul to keep quiet and not sing His praises (Psalm 40:1-3).

You know David’s story with the paranoid King Saul. How many sleepless nights did he not spend in the open fields and caves? The faking of madness to escape the king’s fury (1 Samuel 21:13-15), the opportunities to kill Saul all dangling before David, yet he refused to take them for the honor of Yahweh (24:1-7; 26:1-12) whose anointing Saul carried. David waited patiently for the Lord to deliver him, and now God had turned to do just that.

The Lord bent over to hear David’s cry from the slimy pit of his troubles (Psalm 40:1-2). How many times had David not failed to pull himself out of the pit and failed? How many times have you also not tried to save yourself and failed?

Many people have escaped danger, stood in insecure places, and fallen again, but God gave David a secure place to stand—on the Rock, who is Jesus, and so has He done for you. Hallelujah!

The Lord put a new song in David’s heart, a hymn of praise to His God and our Lord (3). What a testimony the song is to God Almighty and His holiness! And why not? God incited the song in David’s heart, and He will do the same for you if you want it. David stood in his deliverance and did one of his famous dances to the glory of Yahweh (2 Samuel 6:14-15).

How about you today, as you go into the weekend? Hasn’t God done something in your life to incite your praise? Why don’t you listen to your heart and join me to sing and praise the Lord today, through the weekend, and beyond?

Pray with Me

Father, we cannot praise you enough today for all you are and for your loving kindness to us in Jesus. We do not have enough words to sing your praises or strength to dance all day long to show how much we appreciate your love for us in Christ Jesus and the gift of your Holy Spirit. So, Lord, dance with us to the rhythm of our songs of praise to you from our hearts and delight yourself in our worship in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.