Psalm 40:16-17
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
“What’s the worst that can happen?”
So many times I have found my self wound up tight. Worrying and concerned about this and that. It doesn’t really matter what it is I’m worrying about, because it’s all the same. I imagine horrible outcomes. “What’s the worst that can happen?” My mom would ask me. My mom used to try to get me to have a more realistic outlook by having me actually list the worst thing that could happen. I think she was trying to get me away from thinking vaguely about how badly something was going to end, but instead be realistic and see that I wasn’t actually going to die if something went wrong. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
I’m a bit fatalistic
I’m pretty aware of the fact that I’m a sinner and that I screw up. That has often kept me from even attempting things that may be difficult. I didn’t want them to turn out badly, so it’s better I just don’t try. What if I did try and fail. Horror of horrors! The problem with this way of thinking is that I’m relying on my own thoughts, strengths and abilities. But I have access to someone who is perfect, who can do it right and can see me through.
God has a better way
You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! When I am willing to hand over my concerns and worries, I’m always surprised (yes it takes me a while to learn things), at how much better God’s way is than my way. I think sometimes when we try to take control, we block the opportunity to see small miracles. I was reminded of that the other day with my son’s glasses. The result was so much better than I could have imagined. The insurance came through in record time, three hours. There have been times I’ve been on hold with the insurance company for that long. I couldn’t believe the Doctors and the insurance would all work so well together to get it taken care of so quickly. I do consider that a minor miracle. Others offered assistance if the insurance didn’t come through. If I had tried to control all of that on my own, I would have ended up paying more than we could afford at the time. But in God’s way, everything worked out better than I could have expected. His ways are better.
But the Lord takes thought for me
What a wonderful blessing we have in our Lord. We have a God who takes thought of us. He thinks about you. He thinks about me. He is interested in everything about us, from the safety of our children to the trip to the grocery store. Inviting God into everything you do, through prayer, allows you to open your eyes so you can see His miraculous works.
You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God
I love this verse. It makes the Psalm writer so human. Just like us he’s impatient, asking God not to delay in being a help and deliverer. The beauty of this verse is that God doesn’t mind that we ask Him not to delay. He understands our needs and wants. I don’t know if the Psalmist was afraid he would not be able to let go of the problem if the Lord didn’t take care of it quickly, but I know I sometimes have that problem. I think it’s awesome to pray that God would not delay. He cares and wants to answer our prayers, so why not ask for all of what we need, even if part of that is to have some relief from our worry in a quick manner.
Great is the Lord
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” I find that as I let go of control over things I have no control over, I find God’s hand at work in my life. I can see more clearly how He’s in control and taking care of my needs. And remembering the way that He cared for my greatest need, being saved from my sins on the cross and rising again that I might spend eternity with Him, certainly makes me say over and over again, “Great is the Lord”.
Who is your help?
God is... 