To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1
Read: Psalm 40
Devotion: Being patient is hard. It is something that does not come naturally to us, and it is something that doesn’t get easier over time. When we’re kids, it’s hard to wait for Christmas or our birthdays. When we’re teenagers, it’s hard to wait for the weekend. And when we become adults, it’s still hard to wait for the weekend.
Being patient becomes even more difficult when we are undergoing a trial, even when it’s a trial that has come upon us because of our own sin. We pray and we pray, but it doesn’t seem like the Lord hears us because our situation is not changing. When that happens our temptation is to become impatient, to blame God, or to fall completely into despair and begin to think that no deliverance will come at all. What these times of impatience reveal is a lack of faith in our hearts. We do not fully trust in God’s faithfulness toward us, whether it is in his faithfulness to discipline us for our good or his faithfulness to deliver us when we truly need deliverance. We become impatient, but then God delivers us every time without fail.
We are far too quick to forget the truth of Psalm 40. David was a man who knew trials, and particularly trials that were brought about by his own sin. The specific instance that led to the writing of Psalm 40 is not given; however, a few clues in the Psalm itself possibly points to the season in David’s life when he was on the run from his son Absalom.
David writes that his own iniquities have encompassed him (v. 12). Therefore, though David is being battered and his life is at risk due to the wickedness of others (vv. 2, 13-15), this particular instance is a consequence of David’s own sin. This matches well with Absalom’s coup because that was a fulfillment of the discipline that God had told David was going to come to him for his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 12:11-12). We can’t say for certain that it is this particular backdrop to this psalm because David doesn’t tell us. But if it is, then this psalm would be the sequel of sorts to Psalm 3, which was written when David was forced to flee Jerusalem during Absalom’s coup.
If this is so, then these two psalms serve as a wonderful reminder for us who are tempted to become impatient due to a present trial. In Psalm 3 David is crying out for salvation, but it is not an impatient cry of despair. David is fully confident in the Lord’s salvation as he ends the psalm by declaring, “Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people!” Throughout this trial, which may have lasted weeks or months or even years, David patiently waited for the Lord. And his patience and faith in the Lord was vindicated. Eventually Absalom is killed, David is delivered, and he returns safely home to Jerusalem.
Meditating on all that has happened to him and this recent deliverance, David then potentially pens this psalm of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord, vowing to tell everyone about the Lord’s unfailing faithfulness (vv. 9-10). We do not need to suffer a trial like David’s to follow David’s example in patiently waiting for the Lord’s deliverance. David himself was just a foretaste of Christ’s perfect patience and trust in God (Luke 22:42). While experience can certainly be helpful to instruct (John 20:26-29), our experiences are not infallible teachers. What we need to do, as David did, is first humbly rely on God and then go to his word to remind us of who he is. It is God who provides faith (Eph 2:8), it is God who provides patience (Gal 5:22), and it is God who surely delivers his people.
We do not need to suffer a trial like David’s to follow David’s example in patiently waiting for the Lord’s deliverance.
Patience is hard. It is even harder when we are undergoing a great trial. We may be tempted to grow impatient and to seek a relief through sinful means and worldly methods. But we must remember that God hears our prayers and will surely deliver us, if we just wait for him. As David writes, “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie” (Ps 40:4).
Ponder and Pray: Consider how impatience and faith are linked. How does patience reflect faith, and impatience reflect disbelief? Finish by asking the Father to grant you even greater patience.