Prayer requests

Recently one of our grands accepted Christ as her Savior, and I've been honored to pray with her on several occasions. Whether at bedtime or mealtime or somewhere in between, children have such an honest way with their prayers.

Since our youngest child accepted Jesus at an early age, it did not surprise me when our granddaughter did. It always concerns me when adults want to assess the reality of a child's salvation. Our Savior gathered the children to Himself, and counseled us:

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

This little one's fervent and enthusiastic prayers have meant a lot to my prayer life. They remind me that when we come to Christ, we must do so in childlike humility, simplicity, and faith. Just as children implicitly trust their parents, believers trust in God. Faith doesn't mean I know everything. It doesn't mean that I do everything right. It means that I know that whatever happens, our Father will take care of us. We trust in Him, even when life is scary. Or sad. Or makes no sense. We trust in Him when we are depressed, too, as we are learning this week. 

He will never, ever turn us away.

He will never, ever leave us.

All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (John 6:37)

I hope that you will join me in praying for those who have left comments here in the past few days and weeks, and they've shared that they are in the pit of trials. That they are waiting on the Lord. Waiting intently, not passively. They are working with the Spirit's help to endure and learn from their trials.

God loves His children.

Depression - no easy answers

Yesterday, we spoke of the cycles of up and down as we try to pull out of the nosedive of depression. Or help someone else pull out. We can see this roller coaster ride in the verses of Psalms 42 and 43. 

The psalmist tried repeatedly to rouse himself to seek God as his hope and help. He tried valiantly, no matter how despairing his circumstances were. What do we mean "rouse"? The dictionary says it means "to arouse from or as if from a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, or depression." Another says it means to "wake up."

You see, we may experience the same things the psalmist did: it may take us a few up and down cycles before we are able to pull out of the nosedive of depression. But that is not the most important part. The part we need to focus on is that we deal with depression aggressively - we don't just drift along with the circumstances. Even if we feel depressed; even if we are clinically depressed, we need to try to live in obedience to God's Word.

We need to be so very careful! We live in a feelings-oriented culture. Consider these phrases we hear so often:

           "Feelings are not right or wrong, they just are."

Or this one:

            "You need to get in touch with your feelings."

Let's be clear - we do need to understand and accept the fact that we have feelings and emotions. If we were to try to deny them, or seek to conquer them by burying them and not paying attention, we would be making ourselves ill!  BUT we need to develop a biblical view of our emotions and we need to compare the world's words with the scriptures.  I have seen believers who are defeated by depression and negative emotions because they haven't looked for a biblical strategy for dealing with them.

The Bible tells us that we must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness:

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. (I Timothy 4:7)

Now, discipline (by definition) means going against my feelings. Going against my emotions for a purpose. For example, I might not feel like rolling out of bed and getting dressed and exercising, but if I'm disciplined, I will go ahead and do it anyway. (Grin)  Or I may see something that I think is SO cool and I want to spend my money impulsively, but if I'm disciplined, I go against my feelings because I have committed to living by a budget. 

Some of the most mature believers have struggled with depression. Remember Elijah?

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (I Kings 19:1-4)

How about John the Baptist; remember him? He was sitting in prison, struggling against depression:

 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2-3)

Even our old friend, Peter. Imagine his depression after this:

Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:74b-75)

There are other examples, too, in our Bibles, but even while the people of God may fall prey to depression, it's clear that our lives should be marked by a different emotion. And this one is tough. The scriptures say we should be marked by joy in the Lord -- and that's even in some of the most difficult circumstances.

Christ Jesus was facing betrayal and death: 

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

The apostles (Peter and others) were jailed and flogged:

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. (Acts 5:41)

Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25)

All of these folks had plenty of reasons to be "bummed out." Some had excellent reason to be severely depressed. But a consistently depressed Christian is a terrible advertisement for the Lord and the power of His salvation and love. There is no easy answer. But we must confront our depression and bring it under the control of the Holy Spirit. It's the role of the Spirit to help us:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (Galatians 5:22)

It's not us. It's God's Spirit. He will encourage us and help us plant our feet on the next step, and then the next one. When we ask for His help in thinking rightly, and cleansing our mind, our depression will begin to be replaced by genuine joy in the Lord. It may take time. It may take medication if our body is missing a vital chemical, or needs rest or healing. But it will come. We must hold His hand and take the very first step: to recognize that warning light that beeps at us -- depression -- recognize it and begin to rouse ourselves to find the reasons why.

Friday slowdown

God sees our hearts. He feels our depression, and He stands ready to comfort us. He is love. 

Why God
Do people have to die
A daughter or a son
Sudden and so young
Long before their time?

Why God
Do people fall apart
A promise and a ring
Becomes a broken thing
A road that got too hard?

I don't understand
But I understand

Why God I need You
It's why God I run to Your arms
Over and over again
It's why God I cling to Your love
And hold on for dear life
And I find You are right by my side

Why God
Do we feel so alone?
Every single day
Fighting through the pain
Hoping there is hope

I don't understand
But I understand

Why God I need You
It's why God I run to Your arms
Over and over again
It's why God I cling to Your love
And hold on for dear life
And I find You are right by my side, ooh...

Give me a faith stronger than I have
I need to know when it hurts this bad
That You hold my heart when it breaks
And I'm not alone in this place

That's why God I need You
Why God I run to Your arms
Over and over again
It's why God I cling to Your love
And hold on for dear life
And I find You are right by my side
Always right by my side
Even here in the why... God

Depression - some warning lights

You know how you can be in your car, tooling down the road, maybe humming a tune along with your favorite cd or a radio station? The weather is great, and you're having a nice day.  

And then one of those lights on your dash lights up? Bummer.

There's either a problem under the hood, or a tire is almost flat, or something else. That light is a warning.

Depression is like that. We shouldn't keep on driving. We shouldn't ignore it in ourselves or in our friends. We need to pull over and figure out what is wrong. The best thing we can do for ourselves or for our loved ones is to confront the "why" of depression.

First of all, depression can be due to physical causes. We're complex critters, and "fearfully and wonderfully made." Our emotions are not separate from our bodies. Some people are more prone to depression due to the chemical balance (or imbalance) within their bodies. They may benefit from medications that attempt to restore that balance. Women may struggle with depression because of having a baby, or because of menopause. There are changes within the aging process that make us prone to depression. We can be pushing too hard or internalizing stress at our workplace. It may just be that we are more than tired; we are exhausted. Maybe we need some rest. 

So, bottom line up front, the first place to start when we see the warning light is to get a checkup - make sure we are healthy. It's important to be a good steward of the body and the health that God has gifted to us.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (III John 1:2) 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (I Corinthians 6:19-20)

Depression can also hit us just from our circumstances. Maybe we have had a "mountain top" spiritual experience, a wonderful time of fellowship with the Spirit or with other believers. After that enriching experience, the humdrum of daily life sets back in. Or perhaps we are a new believer and the excitement of our salvation wears off, or maybe trials set in and take the shine off our days. The psalmist appears to be looking back fondly at the times when he would go with others in the processions to God's house:

These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng. (Psalm 42:4)

Depression can hit when we suffer disappointment, too. Maybe we've hoped and prayed for something, and it doesn't happen. If we don't turn that over to the Lord, it can make us feel sad. Self-pity is another common cause of depression. And of course, we can feel depressed when we suffer a loss of a loved one through death.

When we are hit by the warning lights of depression, it's important to know ourselves. Is our depression more just "blues"? Is it a minor mood swing? Like a pilot flying a plane in a spot of turbulence, we can make a slight adjustment and not get too concerned. . . . but if we are in a nosedive, we may need to take some drastic action to avoid a crash. The psalmist is doing that here: he grabs himself by the shoulders and talks to himself about what he knows to be true. In spite of his feelings, he remembers truths that will eventually help pull himself out of depression. And it isn't necessarily a "one-shot" deal, either -- it takes the psalmist a while to get on top of his depression. 

We can read in these two psalms that he cycles through lament and hope. I think there are four times that he rides that roller coaster up toward hope and then down again toward despair. In our own lives, it may take us a few cycles of up and down before we can pull out of the nosedive. But the important thing is to aggressively deal with it, and not just drift with the circumstances. We will look at how to do this in our next posts.

Depression - recognize it

 

Last time we looked at our duo of psalms (psalms 42 and 43) we saw that the author (possibly David, but the scholars are divided on that) was feeling lonely and oppressed. Lonely because he had been away from the happy religious festivals of his faith. Oppressed because his enemies were taunting and mocking him. 

This had plunged the writer into deep depression. This is also part of the formula that we see causing depression today. Believers and non-believers can fall prey to the loneliness caused by our fragmented families and society; the pandemic has increased the isolation that many feel; social media stresses all the wrong kinds of values and sets people up to feel alone and unpopular . . . how many "likes" did my last post get? Oppression? Today, we are told that we are all victims. Believers truly are victims, many times, as we see discrimination and persecution ramping up across the globe. When depression hits, a person often will interpret neutral or even positive comments and events as negative, and feel they are being disrespected and oppressed. 

How can we help those who struggle with depression? How can we help ourselves, if we are depressed? I believe that, as with many problems, the first step is to recognize the issue; the second step is to admit it.

The psalmist readily admits (both to himself and to God) that he is depressed. 

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me? (Psalm 42:5a)

My soul is downcast within me; (v. 6a)

He mentions again in two other verses that he is in despair. The Hebrew verb there means to be bowed down or prostrated. Other translations say "laid low," or "in the pits." (See? That's why the Spirit had us study about being in the "pits" last week!) Perhaps we don't really recognize our emotional condition. Perhaps we don't know the symptoms, or we think it's just a passing thing. Or perhaps we don't want to appear unspiritual to other believers. Whatever the reason, if we cannot admit there is a problem, then we cannot begin to deal with it.

There are symptoms; I guess we can call them warning flags; we can see from the psalmist's words describing himself:

My soul is downcast within me; (v. 6a)

That word downcast can also refer to how a person looks, their facial expression. People who are depressed look sad, frustrated, down. Sometimes a depressed person loses their appetite; sometimes they can't seem to stop crying.

My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:3)

In verse four, he describes his anguish as "pouring out his soul," and I think we can equate that with today's language - we describe ourselves as emotionally drained. 

Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me. (v. 7)

Depressed people often feel overwhelmed by circumstances. They are immobilized; they don't know where to start or how to cope. In verse ten, the psalmist says that the taunts he hears feel like a shattering of his bones. Many people who struggle against depression have physical symptoms that accompany it. Headaches, stomach troubles, and even chronic pain can accompany severe depression. People who are depressed often feel guilt and rejection -- the psalmist did. He is confused, and says he feels abandoned by God (verse 9). A final blow to a depressed person's health may be that they are fatigued, sleep deprived (or sleep excessively), or have thoughts of suicide. 

Once we realize that we are dealing with depression, either in our own lives or the lives of loved ones or friends, we need to begin to look for causes. I guess I need to say here, that I'm not a therapist; I am not putting myself out here in the ether as an expert or even as a knowledgeable person; I'm just studying a pair of psalms and writing what the Spirit explains to me. I have seen in the life of someone I love fiercely, that finding the right counselor or therapist can mean a world of difference in the life of someone oppressed by depression. With that said, I believe that once we recognize the symptoms, we must begin to look for the root cause. It's kinda like those little lights on our car's dashboard . . . those tell us that there's a problem. Might be the light for the tires, or perhaps a problem under the hood. If we ignore those lights and keep on driving, we may end up on the side of the road, or with major damage, or both. So it's good to pull over and try to figure out what's wrong. 

Let's talk about that tomorrow, ok?

Prayer requests

 

We hear a lot of people today, talking about "following the science." A compilation of studies completed in 1995 indicates that prayer can positively impact our mental health. 

A large population study in 2018 found that young adults who prayed daily tended to have fewer depressive symptoms, and higher levels of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and positive affect, compared to those who never prayed.  (Harvard, VanderWeele)

Another study examined the perspectives of over 2.000 adults with mental illness in California, and found that over 70% indicated that prayer was helpful to their mental health. (2020, State of California)

Depression hurts. Anxiety hurts. Being bipolar hurts.

Let's pray for those who are suffering with mental issues. Perhaps it is we who are suffering. Take comfort in our Savior, Who has promised to be with us always.

Lord, we pray for your special touch on all who are suffering from mental illness. Help them not to despair. Help them to find the right doctors and the right therapists to assist them with treatments and proper medicines, if needed. Help them to gather up their strength and get out of bed today; help them to get outside in the sunlight; help them to engage with family and friends who care so much for them. We know that Satan wants to destroy us and our health, but Jesus came to give us abundant life. We thank you and praise you for the blessings we will see. In Christ Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalms 42 and 43

 

We're actually digging into two psalms at one time, here. In many Hebrew manuscripts, these two are combined into one.

I'm going to post them here so that we can easily refer to them during our study. Ready?

 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 

3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 

4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. 

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. 

6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. 

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 

8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. 

9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 

10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

1 Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked. 

2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? 

3 Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. 

4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

There is a common refrain there, no? Verses five and eleven in the first (psalm 42) and then again in verse five of the second (psalm 43), with varying verses of hope in between. Kinda like a roller coaster. Kinda like how we may feel many times in our lives. 

Scholars are divided on who actually wrote this one, although the title "of the sons of Korah" may indicate a group of Levites to whom he gave the psalm. The Levites, we remember, were in charge of the temple worship. We may not be certain of the author, but we can definitely read these psalms and see despair and loneliness in the words. Apparently, the author was pretty much exiled from his country of Israel and from the worship and festivals there. He was being taunted and oppressed by his enemies. 

All of these had caused him to slide into depression. 

Depression is a serious problem in our world, today. It's nothing to laugh at; it's nothing to dismiss casually. Whether mild or severe, depression affects more people than any other emotional disorder, and it can lead to self-esteem issues, self-harm, and suicide.

I've been close to someone afflicted with this problem. By the grace of God, that person is alive and doing well today. It's given me a desire to help others who struggle with depression each day of their lives. I hope that there will be something in our studies here in Psalms 42 and 43 that will help.

I believe that the Bible has something to say about our mental health, and that David has a plan that we can study and remember -- to deal with one of Satan's most powerful tools: depression. Please join me this week as we dig in.

Friday slowdown

Out of the miry clay . . . He has rescued us! This is a musical adaptation of Psalm 40. I hope it is a good ending to our week of study.

Proclaiming His goodness

 

As we worked our way through Psalm 40, did you notice how many times David proclaimed the goodness of God? He really kept beating that drum, didn't he? He wanted us to know that when the Lord rescues us from the pit, we should proclaim His goodness.

Look at these verses:

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. (v. 3)

He felt like singing!

Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare. (v. 5)

And again in verses nine and ten:

I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.

Why in the world did David keep repeating himself?  Why, indeed! Because he KNEW that if he didn't make it plain that it was the Lord Who had done great things for him, others might "chalk it up" to good luck. Or to David's natural intellect. He figured out a way to escape the pit. Or his strength. Or creativeness. Or whatever. 

But David wants everyone to know that he was helpless. He was in a pit, sinking into slimy mud. He could never have rescued himself -- so he cried out to God and waited expectantly for God to deliver him.  And when his faithful God delivered him, David made sure that God got every bit of the praise.

In our business, we once worked with a group of designers who had collaborated on a huge telescope that now orbits the earth. That telescope can take what appears to be a tiny object in the darkness of the night sky and magnify it. We can get some idea of how awesome and how large it really is. After all, many stars are anything but little -- they dwarf our own sun! 

Many people today either ignore God or they think of Him as small and distant. Not a part of their lives. As Christians, we have cried out to the Lord to save us from the pit of sin. We were stuck in that mire with no way out.  God sent His son to offer Himself on the cross on our behalf . . . since He has delivered us, we are to be like that telescope. . . we are to magnify the Lord and His great salvation to a world that shrugs and says, "So what?" while they waste their lives watching television, texting on their phones, posting on Facebook, pursuing wealth, sex, power, or fame -- all of which will perish when they die.

We must tell others about how He rescued us from the pit, so that they can believe, accept His great salvation, and join us in saying, "The Lord be magnified!"

One generation commends your works to another;
    they tell of your mighty acts. (Psalm 145:4)

Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34:3) 

Waiting intentionally

 

In the very first verse of Psalm 40, David tells us to wait in a certain way:

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He reached down to me and heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1, NASB)

The NASB translates it "patiently," while others translate it "intently." What does David mean? After all, waiting on the Lord is a pretty common theme in our Bible . . . . perhaps the clue is in the translation "intently." From the commentaries that I studied, it seems this is not a passive kind of waiting. Not like when you are cooling your heels waiting for the doctor to see you, so you flip through the magazines to pass the time. It seems to be more of an active, intentional waiting - a time when the pit situation tunes our hearts to the Lord in ways we might not normally experience. It seems to be an exhortation to wait expectantly - because we know God is faithful to His promises. The more intense our situation, the more intently we focus on our Lord. No twiddling of thumbs, here!

Also in verse one, David mentions that waiting means to cry out to God for deliverance. To ask for His help. And in verse thirteen:

Be pleased, Lord, to rescue me;
Hurry, Lord, to help me. (verse 13)

God's timing often does not coincide with our timing, as we have seen in our previous studies. We may ask Him to hurry. We may even want an instant answer - but God may have other purposes. But it's understandable when you are in a pit, there is a sense of urgency! Sometimes, though, we don't see the pit or realize we are in one. Especially when we are talking about those who need salvation. They may see themselves as "good people," or even "good sinners" who try hard and aren't as bad as some they could mention. They may admit that they could use a little help now and then, but they certainly don't need a Savior.  Humans often don't see the need for a Savior unless they are helpless at the bottom of a slimy, mud-filled pit. Because we think we can do it ourselves most of the time. So, the Lord patiently, graciously allows us to be in one pit after another, to give us the opportunity to cry out to Him.

Waiting intently on the Lord means trusting only Him. In verse three, David hopes that because of his testimony, others will trust God. And in verse four, he mentions how blessed is the person who has made the Lord His trust. Waiting on Him means that we know He's our ONLY hope for deliverance.

Waiting intentionally also means that we are counting His many wonders and the times He's shown His care. Remember, we said this is not "passively" waiting, but actively waiting. Obviously, waiting gives us time to think - but we should direct our mind in the right paths. We don't need to think we've been abandoned, or that we are doomed, and get to panicking. Instead, we should think about the wonders He has created and the times He has delivered in the past.

Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare. (v. 5)

I kinda put this alongside of Psalm 104; David may very well have been thinking about the wonders of creation. God established the earth so that it is hospitable for human beings and for the animals who dwell here. We are at the proper distance from the sun - closer and we'd burn; further and we'd freeze! He waters the earth; He guides the comets and meteors to keep their distance; He sweeps the clouds with His hands to control our atmosphere for life here. 

David might have been thinking, too, about the many times in history and in his own life, that God "came through." God brought the people out of Egypt and preserved them in the wilderness. He guided them in battles and saved them from powerful foes. In his own life, David had seen God deliver him from lions and bears, not to mention from the giant, Goliath, and from King Saul.  We believers can think back to times when we were at a low point and God delivered us. So, as we wait on Him, in whatever pit we're in, we can recount His wonders and blessings toward us.

Waiting intently also means obedience. Check out verses six through eight . . . we can wait while you go and read them . . . .  David is not saying that sacrifices are bad. He is saying that what God really wants is an obedient heart that delights in doing His will.

I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart. (v. 8)

David is affirming exactly what the prophet Samuel told disobedient King Saul in I Samuel, chapter fifteen. He said that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." To apply this to our lives today, it simply means that when we are in a pit, we must focus on obeying the Lord, even if He doesn't deliver us quickly from the trial. The devil will (of course) try to tempt us to give up. He'll dangle something shiny in front of us and say that it's time to stop trusting in the Lord. It's time to seek fulfillment in other ways. He'll whisper, "What are you still waiting for? God isn't meeting your needs." Oh, believer, don't listen to him! Keep obeying God's Word while you wait for Him.

Lastly (and I bet you're glad that I said that - this post has gotten lengthy!) waiting intently means seeking Him and rejoicing in His presence. 

But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great! (v. 16)

If we are seeking the Lord (not just deliverance from the pit) then we won't forget about God after He delivers us. It's tragic, but many believers miss out on so many blessings because they "use" God just like they would use Aladdin's genie: they put Him back on the shelf after they get what they want! Instead, David says that God should be magnified, or glorified. By seeking the Lord alone, He gets the credit when He delivers us. And there is no doubt from verse sixteen, David was rejoicing about his deliverance when it came.  But David makes a special point to be glad "in the Lord."  When we are delivered from our own pit, we find God as our special treasure -- we can rejoice in all that He is, as well as what He does for us.

So, are we in the pit today? Are we waiting "intently" on the Lord? Let's commit to stay away from asking the world for answers. Let's turn to the Lord. Cry out to Him; trust Him; count His wonders and the times He has been faithful; obey His Word, seek His presence; rejoice in Him.

We will finish our study of Psalm 40 tomorrow.