Psalm 40:1-3

Psalms:40:1-3  I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Introduction:

A. The old song, "He's A Wonderful Savior To Me," by Virgil Brock, will soon be one hundred years old. It, like so many of the great church hymns has a deep, significant and spiritual message. It does not do a lot for the heels, but it sure does something for the heart.

B. In the Psalm before us, you can clearly see that the writer is not boasting about himself, but he is praising the Lord for what he had done for him. In essence he was saying, "He's A Wonderful Savior To Me."

C. Let us see what the Lord had done for him, and then apply this to ourselves. We can say, "The Lord hath done great things for me also."

I. He Brought Me Up: Salvation
     (v 2a) "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit."

A. The pit defined.
1. It could be any pit we find ourselves in.
2. It means more than the pit of being lost. There are more salvations than that of the soul. Certainly the salvation of the soul is the greatest of all; however, there are other pits we need rescuing from.
3. The pit of sin one falls into after he or she is saved. It happens so often:
a. Samson fell into his pit.
b. David fell into sin.
c. Don't be too quick to judge others, and don't be too harsh on those who fall, for it could easily happen to you.
d. I have known of parents who were extremely critical of other people's children when they fell, and I have seen those dear parents who were so hard on others have the same thing happen to them.
4. It may be the pit of discouragement.
5. It could be the pit of sorrow.
6. It could be the pit of physical pain, financial loss, disappointment, etc.

B. The pit described
1. It was a deep pit. No way out.
2. It was a dark pit. No light.
3. It was a place of death. Eventually the pit would kill him had there not been deliverance.

C. Deliverance from the pit (v 1)
1. After all hope was gone he turned to God, and prayed. Often all hope for us has to go before we will pray as he prayed.
2. God came to his rescue, and lifted him up.

II. He Set Me Up: Security
     (v 2b) "and set my feet upon a rock"

A. The Lord is the Rock here. He is both the deliverer and the Rock.
1. He is the Rock of ages.
2. He is the solid foundation Rock.
     Isa. 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation:
3. A lofty Rock
     Psa. 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
a. Like the song:

"When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay."
"On Christ, the solid Rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand."

III. He Straightened Me Up: Sanctification
     (v 2bb) "and established my goings."

A. Not only can we say with the writer "He brought me up, and set me up, but he also changed me up." Sanctification means to make me holy, set apart.

B. Some marvelous changes are made when one is lifted from the pit.
1. When Jonah got out of the fish, which had been a pit for him, he was a changed man.
2. When the prodigal came home things were different.
3. David prayed "Get me out of this pit and things will be different." (Psa. 51:12-13)

IV. He Tuned Me Up: Song
     (v 3a) "And hath put a new song in my mouth."

A. There is joy in the Lord and His service.