Psalm 40: Are You in the Pits?
As with many of the Psalms, we are not told the specific circumstances David was facing when he penned the fortieth Psalm. What we do know is the situation was excruciatingly painful. In the second verse, David compares his ordeal to a horrible pit. A deep hole he had fallen into; one he was unable to escape on his own. In the first section of Psalm 40, David celebrates God’s deliverance in the past (vv. 1-10). In verses 11-17 he cries out to God once again when he finds himself facing a new crisis. The Lord had delivered him in the past, and David fully expected him to deliver him once more.
David is described in Scripture as a man who had a heart for God, and he lived most of his life in obedience to him. Despite his faithfulness to the Lord, David regularly found himself in times of trial. From this observation we must conclude that even the most obedient of God’s saints will find themselves up to their necks in mud or stuck in the slimy pit or adversity. The question is not whether or not we will face trials, but rather how we will respond while in the midst of them.
In times of severe trouble, David chose to patiently wait for the Lord. David begins this Psalm praising God for his deliverance after a time of patient waiting. Patiently waiting suggests endurance over an extended period of time. In fact, the word patiently is translated from the Hebrew word qavah meaning: “to wait, to look for, to hope, to expect, to wait or look eagerly for.” The word patiently suggests a quiet waiting, even while caught deep in the pit of distress, with an expectant hope that God will act. It’s important to note that the Lord (not others or his circumstances) was the object of David’s waiting. This was not a passive waiting, but rather waiting with focused concentration on the Lord alone. The idea is that David waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited… on God.
In our culture where we are accustomed to twenty-second commercials and social media clips, waiting is difficult. Advertising promises that all of our problems are not only fixable, they are able to be solved in a short period of time. All you need is the right product, and all of your problems will be resolved. If we believe this myth, waiting on God sounds rather superfluous. Who has time to wait on God when our problems can be solved instantly through the magical solutions offered in the world’s magnificent marketplace?
Patiently waiting on God and not caving to our impulses is difficult, but it communicates an expectant anticipation that God will act on behalf of His people and actually resolve our problems according to His divine will. The Lord does not always act quickly, but He will take action. While there are undoubtedly times when He heals and delivers instantly, there are other occasions when He heals and delivers over an extended period of time. No matter God’s timeframe, David trusted that the Lord would act and would do so in a powerful and decisive way. David patiently and expectedly waited on God’s timing, all the while trusting that God would deliver him as He had previously.
In response to David’s intense and patient waiting, God rescued him. The Lord lifted him out of the miry clay, and placed him on a rock where his steps were made secure (v. 2). David had been stuck in a slimy pit, bogged down in mud and mire, but God delivered him, and graciously set his feet on a firm rock. David’s footsteps were now on solid ground rather than caught in the swampy muck at the pit’s bottom. Successfully delivered from the sinking sand and silty pit, David now had a firm place to stand.
David’s response to God’s deliverance is praise (v. 3). He lifted his voice and sang a new song of adoration to his Deliverer. This new song was not necessarily a new composition but a new song rooted in his redemption. David’s new song was a song of testimony that would lead others to see God, to trust in Him, and to reverentially fear Him. As Derek Kidner writes, “David’s thoughts are not self-bound, dwelling on his ordeal: they rise gratefully to God, and flow out towards his people.”[1] Oh, how self-bound we become when facing trials! Rather than keeping his praise to himself for what God had done, David testified through song of the Lord’s mighty deliverance. Rather than being ashamed of the pit God had delivered him from, David used his voice to sing praises to God in the presence of other believers.
The imagery of the miry pit serves as an instructive picture of how life feels when we are trapped by difficult circumstances or lingering sin. In a fallen world, we are bound to face despair at some point. The Bible–the Psalms in particular–helps us understand our despair, and encourages us to lay our cares before God. This is exactly what David did, and it’s what he is encouraging us to do.
There are admittedly many pits that we can fall into. But here is a list of twenty-five potential ones that we should be mindful of:
1. Physical pits—this would include times of physical danger (e.g., Jeremiah 38).
2. Physical ailments—the daily battle of illness or injury can be discouraging.
3. Physical exhaustion—we live in a busy and distracted culture; running from one place to another often leaves us with little patience and time to think much about the Lord.
4. Relational problems—challenges within a marriage or with children or with aging parents can feel like a pit you will never climb out of.
5. Sinful habits (i.e., addictions)—even David had periods in his life that were characterized by the pit of sin (e.g., Romans 1).
6. Trying circumstances—there are times when circumstances feel overwhelming and insurmountable.
7. Persecution—while we don’t generally face persecution on a grand scale, there are times our faith collides with unbelief in the form of ridicule or exclusion.
8. Failure—perhaps it’s the loss of a job or being unemployed or not being accepted to the first college of your choice; failures can leave us feeling defeated.
9. Financial issues—debt and financial concerns can overwhelm us, and leave us on the verge of despair.
10. Monotony—much of life is filled with the tedium of day to day living that requires self-discipline; the boredom of life can entrap us if we are not careful.
11. Discouragement—if you are looking for a source of discouragement you will always find one; this is an easy pit to fall into.
12. Hopelessness—perhaps God has become very small in your life and all of your hope has washed away.
13. Rejection—not everyone is going to like you, but being rejected by a spouse or by a parent or by a child or by a close friend can be devastating.
14. Loneliness—despite all of our supposed connectedness, we are living in a desperately lonely age.
15. Loss—whether it’s the loss of a job or a loved one, loss can leave us in deep distress.
16. Jealousy—nothing robs our joy and sinks us deep in a pit more quickly than an envious heart.
17. Regret—regret may come in many forms, but it always results in a sense of loss.
18. Bitterness—resentment accumulated over time and can entrap us.
19. Depression—when life feels overwhelming, we can quickly slip into the mire of depression.
20. Fear—the fear of man produces a snare, along with the fear of failure, rejection, etc.
21. Insecurity—when we are not confident in who God made us to be, we will live in the pit of self-protection.
22. Arrogance—this one is hard to see, but if you are stuck in the pit of stubbornness and arrogance you may be in a deeper pit than you think.
23. Covetousness—a heart of covetousness leads to discontentment; even prosperity can create a pit that sucks us beneath the waves of materialism.
24. Self-righteousness—this is another pit that is hard to see; when we are blinded by our own sense of righteousness we dig a pit for ourselves that is always deep and muddy.
25 Self-pity—feeling sorry for yourself is a slippery slope that can leave you trapped for months or even years.
We have all slipped into at least one of these pits. Perhaps you are stuck in one right now. Be patient, like David, and trust in God to deliver you from the pit and to place your feet on a rock. And when He does, use your voice to sing praises to your Deliverer so that others may see, fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
[1] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72 (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1973), 177.
David is described in Scripture as a man who had a heart for God, and he lived most of his life in obedience to him. Despite his faithfulness to the Lord, David regularly found himself in times of trial. From this observation we must conclude that even the most obedient of God’s saints will find themselves up to their necks in mud or stuck in the slimy pit or adversity. The question is not whether or not we will face trials, but rather how we will respond while in the midst of them.
In times of severe trouble, David chose to patiently wait for the Lord. David begins this Psalm praising God for his deliverance after a time of patient waiting. Patiently waiting suggests endurance over an extended period of time. In fact, the word patiently is translated from the Hebrew word qavah meaning: “to wait, to look for, to hope, to expect, to wait or look eagerly for.” The word patiently suggests a quiet waiting, even while caught deep in the pit of distress, with an expectant hope that God will act. It’s important to note that the Lord (not others or his circumstances) was the object of David’s waiting. This was not a passive waiting, but rather waiting with focused concentration on the Lord alone. The idea is that David waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited… on God.
In our culture where we are accustomed to twenty-second commercials and social media clips, waiting is difficult. Advertising promises that all of our problems are not only fixable, they are able to be solved in a short period of time. All you need is the right product, and all of your problems will be resolved. If we believe this myth, waiting on God sounds rather superfluous. Who has time to wait on God when our problems can be solved instantly through the magical solutions offered in the world’s magnificent marketplace?
Patiently waiting on God and not caving to our impulses is difficult, but it communicates an expectant anticipation that God will act on behalf of His people and actually resolve our problems according to His divine will. The Lord does not always act quickly, but He will take action. While there are undoubtedly times when He heals and delivers instantly, there are other occasions when He heals and delivers over an extended period of time. No matter God’s timeframe, David trusted that the Lord would act and would do so in a powerful and decisive way. David patiently and expectedly waited on God’s timing, all the while trusting that God would deliver him as He had previously.
In response to David’s intense and patient waiting, God rescued him. The Lord lifted him out of the miry clay, and placed him on a rock where his steps were made secure (v. 2). David had been stuck in a slimy pit, bogged down in mud and mire, but God delivered him, and graciously set his feet on a firm rock. David’s footsteps were now on solid ground rather than caught in the swampy muck at the pit’s bottom. Successfully delivered from the sinking sand and silty pit, David now had a firm place to stand.
David’s response to God’s deliverance is praise (v. 3). He lifted his voice and sang a new song of adoration to his Deliverer. This new song was not necessarily a new composition but a new song rooted in his redemption. David’s new song was a song of testimony that would lead others to see God, to trust in Him, and to reverentially fear Him. As Derek Kidner writes, “David’s thoughts are not self-bound, dwelling on his ordeal: they rise gratefully to God, and flow out towards his people.”[1] Oh, how self-bound we become when facing trials! Rather than keeping his praise to himself for what God had done, David testified through song of the Lord’s mighty deliverance. Rather than being ashamed of the pit God had delivered him from, David used his voice to sing praises to God in the presence of other believers.
The imagery of the miry pit serves as an instructive picture of how life feels when we are trapped by difficult circumstances or lingering sin. In a fallen world, we are bound to face despair at some point. The Bible–the Psalms in particular–helps us understand our despair, and encourages us to lay our cares before God. This is exactly what David did, and it’s what he is encouraging us to do.
There are admittedly many pits that we can fall into. But here is a list of twenty-five potential ones that we should be mindful of:
1. Physical pits—this would include times of physical danger (e.g., Jeremiah 38).
2. Physical ailments—the daily battle of illness or injury can be discouraging.
3. Physical exhaustion—we live in a busy and distracted culture; running from one place to another often leaves us with little patience and time to think much about the Lord.
4. Relational problems—challenges within a marriage or with children or with aging parents can feel like a pit you will never climb out of.
5. Sinful habits (i.e., addictions)—even David had periods in his life that were characterized by the pit of sin (e.g., Romans 1).
6. Trying circumstances—there are times when circumstances feel overwhelming and insurmountable.
7. Persecution—while we don’t generally face persecution on a grand scale, there are times our faith collides with unbelief in the form of ridicule or exclusion.
8. Failure—perhaps it’s the loss of a job or being unemployed or not being accepted to the first college of your choice; failures can leave us feeling defeated.
9. Financial issues—debt and financial concerns can overwhelm us, and leave us on the verge of despair.
10. Monotony—much of life is filled with the tedium of day to day living that requires self-discipline; the boredom of life can entrap us if we are not careful.
11. Discouragement—if you are looking for a source of discouragement you will always find one; this is an easy pit to fall into.
12. Hopelessness—perhaps God has become very small in your life and all of your hope has washed away.
13. Rejection—not everyone is going to like you, but being rejected by a spouse or by a parent or by a child or by a close friend can be devastating.
14. Loneliness—despite all of our supposed connectedness, we are living in a desperately lonely age.
15. Loss—whether it’s the loss of a job or a loved one, loss can leave us in deep distress.
16. Jealousy—nothing robs our joy and sinks us deep in a pit more quickly than an envious heart.
17. Regret—regret may come in many forms, but it always results in a sense of loss.
18. Bitterness—resentment accumulated over time and can entrap us.
19. Depression—when life feels overwhelming, we can quickly slip into the mire of depression.
20. Fear—the fear of man produces a snare, along with the fear of failure, rejection, etc.
21. Insecurity—when we are not confident in who God made us to be, we will live in the pit of self-protection.
22. Arrogance—this one is hard to see, but if you are stuck in the pit of stubbornness and arrogance you may be in a deeper pit than you think.
23. Covetousness—a heart of covetousness leads to discontentment; even prosperity can create a pit that sucks us beneath the waves of materialism.
24. Self-righteousness—this is another pit that is hard to see; when we are blinded by our own sense of righteousness we dig a pit for ourselves that is always deep and muddy.
25 Self-pity—feeling sorry for yourself is a slippery slope that can leave you trapped for months or even years.
We have all slipped into at least one of these pits. Perhaps you are stuck in one right now. Be patient, like David, and trust in God to deliver you from the pit and to place your feet on a rock. And when He does, use your voice to sing praises to your Deliverer so that others may see, fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
[1] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72 (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1973), 177.
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