Psalm 40-41
Key Verse: 40:8
    Thank God who allowed us to finish studying Book I of Psalms (chapter 1-41). In today’s passage we think about how David lived as a godly man. We live as mature people of God when we wait patiently on God. We can be blessed when we make the LORD our trust. When we live by faith, we don’t live just by rules and legalism. The Holy Spirit changes us, so we don’t just live by human external regulations, but through changing us on a desire level. In the second chapter it tells us that we can be blessed when we have regard for the weak. David’s life was an image of the Messiah Jesus.

1. I Desire To Do Your Will (Ps 40)
    How do we live as God's people in this fallen world with many problems? What is God's purpose for us? Verse 40:1 says, "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry." Wait? We live in the modern world with fast food, drive through service, and overnight delivery. Why wait? People want God's blessing now. A youtube search for the phrase "DON'T WAIT" or "WHY WAIT?" returns 10,000+ hits. "WAIT ON GOD " returns about 100 hits, because people don’t want to wait. Nevertheless, the Psalmist declared "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry." One of the tragic moments in Genesis was when Abraham couldn't wait and bore the fruit of flesh: Ishmael. Ishmael became a wild donkey of a man. When we wait patiently on God, then God works invisibly by his mighty power to fulfill his promise. When Samuel’s mother Hannah waited on God in prayer, she won the spiritual victory and sang a song of praise.
    He continues in 40:2: "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." The Psalmist David says he was in the slimy pit of mud. This is the picture of fallen man in his faults and sin. Once one gets dirty in the mud or "miry clay" (KJV) he is hopelessly dirty and tainted. Despite our dirty helpless state, the Bible says "He lifted me out of the slimy pit." There is no room for fatalism or despair when we have faith in the Creator God. The Creator God sets our feet on a rock. This verse tells us "He lifted me out..." God does it. It is not a work of man done through man's pride.
    Verse 40:3 says, "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD." The Creator moved the Psalmist's heart to sing a new song, praising God. The Spirit gave him a "new song" with dynamic expression, praising the Creator. When we have real faith, based on the word of God, then we can sing joyful, spiritual songs with a thankful obedient heart. When the spirit of God is absent, selfish ambition increases and other people look more and more like objects.
    He declared in 40:4: "Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." Many people think that the easy way to get what they need is to please rich and powerful people, even if they are arrogant and boastful. They think they can just take something and go, like withdrawing money from a bank account, but to their dismay they see how quickly they can enter a state of slavery. In Bible times Egypt looked abundant and prosperous, but whenever Abraham's descendants looked to Egypt to solve material problems, it usually led to trouble. The Bible is true that we simply need to make the LORD our trust instead of ungodly people or false gods. People follow big money first. If we only follow deceptive corrupt big money power, then they cannot be really blessed. The world has been in a financial crisis, because people believed in the large banks and that big money could solve all human problems. People of the world rejected simple faith in God and the fellowship of the humble people of God who follow Jesus and trust God's word. As a result there are no simple solutions to the global financial crisis.
    Verse 40:5 says, "Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." God has done many things. He has planned things for us in advance. There are "too many" things. Instead of compromising with worldly people, we must tell of them through our own life testimony.
    It says that "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire." (40:6) Jesus also quoted from these verses to explain how outward religion alone grieves God. During Solomon's time he routinely sacrificed thousands of sheep and sacrificial animals. What God is looking for is not all the dead animals of the world, but man's heart, or his desire or his volunteering. Sacrifice and offering refers to legalism. People try to keep a token outward ritual. In Christian history countless numbers of people thought water baptism of small children would guarantee salvation. Many Jews thought circumcision is a kind of guarantee that they are God's people.
    How is the work of God being done? The work of God is being carrying out through willing people, not through hollow ritualism and tradition alone. Last year Europe UBF celebrated it's 40th anniversary. Europe UBF is now in over half of the European countries and over 20 chapters in Germany. This work of God was not founded through large international bank donors or through fancy buildings, but through nurse women immigrant missionaries. In the US in previous generations it was thought that Christianity was expressed only through the large, so-called "mainline" churches, or major denominations. Small manger-like ministries like UBF looked somewhat strange at the beginning. UBF missionaries did not look like televangelists with bright glittery suits, but often like people in thrift store clothes. As time went by we could see that the real work of God was not done by legalistic people or people just with a large organization, but willing people who had faith. Recently, Mike Thompson went to Russia as a missionary. He was not a high profile PhD, good in business, and didn't even play an instrument, but he accepted Missionary Samuel Lee's persistent prayer for Russia in the 1980's. He learned Russian. He is living the dream from his heart, despite family tragedy. Nobody pushed him to go as a legalistic act to spend a minimum of 2 years or something like that. At the Purdue conference they said 500 people went on stage to take a missionary pledge. He's one of the only one of those people who bought a one-way ticket to the mission field. One time Pastor Mark Vucekovich said we are like brothers from the same tribe of rugged individualists. The work of God is being done through willing people: "I desire to do your will, O my God." Few people want to take care of children, but children need shepherds. When no one is willing, then children look burdensome and there is no future for a nation. In Israel many had identity as God's people and did rituals, but the nation became like a whithered tree when almost no one was willing.
    Verse 40:10 says, "I do not hide 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." He experienced the freedom of sharing God's word and living by the truth of God. He says in 40:16 of the fellowship of God's people: "But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, 'The LORD be exalted!'"

2. But You, O LORD, Have Mercy On Me (Ps 41)
    David, the Psalmist, opens this song by writing: "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble." God is concerned about the weak. We may think that the weak are burdensome or "seem like a losing business" and that we have to be a little more practical. To the contrary! He writes that we are blessed to have regard for the weak like children or needy people. God's promise is in 41:2: "The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes." The world makes us think that the really blessed life is hedonistic pleasures and to be jealous of powerful arrogant people. Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) This is not merely a hollow aphorism. It is a way of life. Zacchaeus the chief tax collector thought that being selfish and arrogant was the true way to be blessed and that money equals happiness. After taking advantage of weak people, like widows and children, he was despised by all people. Only when he met Jesus and adopted Jesus' lifestyle did he become inwardly and spiritually blessed.
    When we go out in the world, we may think we must also be a bully or act arrogantly to get ahead, whether we are driving or at school. Being humble or letting weak people go first seems to be against our competitive nature. The media teaches us to go after what we want, even if it damages others or makes use of weak people. God's people must live differently than the world. The Creator God sustains his servant.
    From verses 41:4 on reveals he intense spiritual struggle. It is a picture of the passion of Christ. David's struggle with many people was like a pre-gospel with enemies whispering against him. They imagined the worst for him and wished he would die of a "vile disease", but God was faithful to his servant. He closed this chapter and Book I of Psalms with verse 41:13, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen." This Psalm promises that those who have regard for the weak will be delivered by the LORD from trouble.