May it please Almighty God to bless us together this evening as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the Book of Psalms and Psalm 40 and we'll read the first three verses. So, Psalm 40 and reading verses 1, 2 and 3. And as we've already said, this is a Psalm of David. We're thankful for it.

I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord.

The Bible contains a lot of information about David. In the book of Samuel we have much which refers to his natural life and how God was with him, how God delivered him, how God blessed him. And then we have various other parts but especially the Psalms and many of the Psalms are written by David and what they demonstrate to us is his spiritual life.

and that should be very relevant and very important for each one of us because we all have a spiritual life sometimes people today don't realise they have a spiritual life but nonetheless we do and we have a soul that will live forever and that should make us very concerned that we do have a spiritual life and we are right with our God

well David testifies in this psalm. He gives us a little bit of his spiritual experience and he tells us that first of all he waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto him and he heard his cry. Well you and I should be encouraged by such a statement as that and we should realize that very often we're impatient because we want God to move a bit faster in our life and appear for us a bit quicker and to do things just as we want them.

But here we see that God gave David that grace to wait patiently, patiently for the Lord and he tells us therefore as he waited patiently this great God inclined unto him and heard his cry, his prayer. And that's a tremendous statement, isn't it? To think that here was a man of God, he wasn't perfect by a long way. He committed many sins and God heard his cry. God heard his prayers.

And bless God today. We have a God who as Isaiah saw was high and lifted up. and yet that great God condescended to hear Isaiah and hear David and still today he looks down from his throne in glory and hears our prayers. May we therefore be encouraged and strengthened to believe that we have a God who tells us very clearly in the prophecy of Malachi, I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

God's mercy, God's favour. And so may we be given that grace to wait patiently and for the Lord to appear. and to continue to pray unto him. We have this statement here, and heard my cry. A cry, I often think, is an involuntary prayer which comes out from just like a baby. A baby isn't able to speak, but it's able to cry. And a baby cries, and the parents hear the cry. It attracts their attention. and they see what the baby wants. And in a similar way, you and I, as we might say, babes in Christ, we can cry out, we may not be able to elucidate very clearly what we want and how we feel. Sometimes words don't seem adequate to explain to God our spiritual need.

But the blessing is, our God knows He knows the end from the beginning. He knows exactly what is planned for you and me in our little life on this earth. And he knows what we need. And he will supply that need. And we should be very thankful for it and very humbled to realise that this God who is so great, so mighty, so powerful, the one who created all things, the one who made the heavens, everything that is seen comes from almighty God. And yet this God, this great God, condescends to look down upon us. And therefore, may we be patient.

The Lord has told us very clearly that we are to pray We are to inquire of our God and He will hear and answer prayer in His time and in His way. Again, two things perhaps which don't always agree with our thoughts but nonetheless they are right because God has a way. His ways are higher than our ways and He has a perfect way. Our way is often unperfect. And the reason it is, is because we're sinful creatures and we look at it from a natural perspective rather than realising that we are on this earth for God's honour and glory. Let's never ever forget that. That's the purpose of your life and my life on this earth, for God's honour and for God's glory.

So therefore, he will be inquired of by the House of Israel do these things for them. He will be inquired of and therefore when he does do things for us it is our great privilege to be able to come and thank and praise him for those things which he has done and not to turn away from them as something which is irrelevant. You remember the account we read this morning and pondered of the Philippian jailer and how there was that thanksgiving in his life and others who had their prayers answered. And so may we ever realize that we come to a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God. But remember that we are not to be impatient. We are indeed to be patient.

You know, in the 12th chapter of the Hebrews, we have a very wonderful statement in the first verse where Paul the apostle tells us, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. He's referring of course to the people that he'd enumerated in the 11th chapter. With so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us. You know sometimes we're tempted to excuse ourselves and say well that of course is my besetting sin. Well we should never rest in that kind of position. We should also pray for that grace to lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. We should never excuse ourselves and let us run with patience. Patience, you see. The race that is set before us. There is a race, and it may not be an easy race. There may be many obstacles in it, but you and I are to run it with patience.

But there's a wonderful secret, and this is the secret. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, the one who begins that spiritual life, the one who continues that spiritual life, the one who will complete that spiritual life. Oh, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down in the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Words to remember, words to consider. And here we have a great God, and therefore we're told to have us run with patience, we're to be found looking unto Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of our faith.

And then we have a testimony regarding our Saviour Himself. And you think of the patience, the Lord Jesus had for those 33 years. Tempted so often, and perhaps we might say continually by the devil, and yet we have this great statement that he indeed, although was tempted, yet we are told, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Oh, what a blessing if you and I come into difficult situations, and perhaps we're tempted sometimes to think, well, no one else has to suffer as badly as I do. No one else has to endure such things. Well, let us always remember, as the as Paul says, consider him, that he endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We have a great and glorious example in the Lord Jesus Christ and what a blessing it is if you and I therefore desire to truly follow his wonderful example and the glorious patience that he received and that he sets before us.

And so here we have this words of David where he tells us, I waited patiently for the Lord and therefore we have no excuse really to be impatient. The Lord has a time, the Lord has a way, the Lord has a perfect time, the Lord has a perfect way. And so may you and I be found in this situation, waiting patiently for the Lord, believing as he did in David's case. He inclined unto him and heard his cry.

Then he gives us a little example of his pathway. He tells us, he, that's Almighty God, brought me. We go in and off and say, True religion is personal, it's between our soul and God and God knows what he's doing with us and therefore how good it is to be able to confirm alongside David, he, almighty God, brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my going.

So what do we read there? We read clearly that David had a life, that he was found in this horrible pit, and a pit with miry clay, and yet God came and heard his cry and delivered him. Well, there are many pits, you know, in our life. It's good sometimes to just realize a little of what these pits are, and we're told in the epistle of John, and the first epistle of John, and the second chapter, and verse 16, tells us about a pit. And this is what the pit is.

For all that is in the world, The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. And that's a pit, my friends, which the devil wants you and me to fall into and to remain in it so that we can't get out. And in and of ourselves, we won't perhaps have the ability and perhaps we won't have a desire. But God can give us the ability and God can give us the desire.

So here was the Apostle John enumerating that wonderful situation in the 16th verse of this second chapter in the Epistle of John. And then we also read in this same Same chapter in the 15th verse, he says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

You see, it's a pit. The world is a pit. The love of the world is a pit. The love of the things in the world our pits. They don't bring us nearer to Christ. What do they do? They take us away from Christ. It fills our minds with the poor things of this world, the love of the things of the world. It's a great pit which destroys our spiritual life and how humbling it is to realise that we have a God who is gracious to us and mindful of us. deals with us in love to our soul and sometimes you know we can become embroiled in what we might think is the traditions you know we're very sometimes taken up with traditions and we don't like to think we are perhaps but the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the Colossians he told us He tells us about this, and he tells us in the 2nd chapter and the 8th verse, he says, Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

It's good, isn't it, to have that comparison? He points out, you see, first of all, those things which are of the flesh, which are not really good at all, and he tells us if we're spoilt with such things, philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, well, you see, we easily fall into that trap after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. Well, it's a great testament, isn't it? And it's a pit, my friends, which the devil is very able to push us into if he can. It's not easy to get out of these pits and so we should be thankful of that.

And then also we have a pit of unbelief. In the Hebrews the apostle tells us the pit of unbelief. How often you see causes you and me to doubt his word and to think that doesn't apply to me and therefore We're told it's an evil heart of unbelief, but it is a pit. And what a blessing, my friends, when the Holy Spirit shows us where we are. We're in that pit of unbelief. We're turning away from the truth of God. Oh, it's a very solemn place to be found in.

And then also, you know, there's the pit of rebellion. Pit of rebellion. We rebel against God. We don't agree with the path that we're walking. We may pretend to, but down in our heart, there's that rebellion against God's ways. And we don't want to bow to them. We want our way. to be the right way and it's a pit of rebellion. Sad isn't it?

And then perhaps just one final pit which the Apostle directs us to and that's in the Corinthians and the first epistle of the Corinthians and the first chapter and the eighth verse and this is what it tells us. It tells us this, who should also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a mercy therefore if we are in that situation and don't turn away from it.

And then in the second epistle the apostle also tells us, he says, for we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to you in Asia when we were pressed out of measure and strength insomuch that we despaired even of life. Sometimes we may find ourselves in a pit where we almost despair of being delivered out of it and we think the Lord will not hear our prayers and we shall remain in it. Well, bless God that he's given us examples to follow and so we have this this case here, above strength, pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. Well, we shouldn't give up, should we?

No, it's a pit. And the Lord has said through about his servant David, he brought me up also out of a horrible pit. So it's these pits which we just briefly mentioned. which sometimes we find ourselves in. It's not easy to get out of a pit, you know, a pit often has straight sides and you can imagine it with Maori clay and it's very slippery and therefore there we are, unable to free ourselves. We have a God who is able to do for us far more exceeding abundantly than we can ask or even think. So what a mercy therefore if when perhaps the Holy Spirit, which it is, alerts us to the pit that we're in and we hadn't perhaps realized it and yet what a blessing when God takes us in hand, comes alongside us and shows us where we are, where we've got to and comes and brings us up, brings us out of it. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the Maori clay. God is able. God is able. The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Never limit the power and the strength of Almighty God. He is able and willing to do far more exceedingly abundantly that you and I can ask or even think.

So remember here in David's case, he brought me up also out of a horrible pit and out of the miry clay. And where did he place him then? Where did he put him then? Did he dump him on the side of the pit so that he might fall in again? No, our God's very gracious, our God's very merciful, And we're told, he brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the murray clay, and set my feet. Again, it's a personal experience. David needed it. God did it for him. He set his feet upon a rock. Well, what is that? Well, of course, I'm sure we know. The rock is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing, my friends, to have such a rock. A rock which is not slippery, a rock which does not move, a rock which is permanent.

And to realize that here, this God gives us patience to wait for God's appearing, to wait for that time when he comes, picks us up, delivers us, out of that pit which we've got ourselves into. We'll never be able to blame God for it. We have to realize that we've got ourselves into the pit and we need God to deliver us. We can't deliver ourselves. We can't clamber out. It's too hard, it's too difficult. But God is able to lift us out.

You know, you may remember in Jeremiah's life, He was put in the deep dungeon. He hadn't done anything wrong. But because he told the king the truth and the king didn't like it, he put him in this deep dungeon. He couldn't climb out. It was too deep and it was a terrible, smelly place. And eventually, people were sent to put him out. And they had some ropes and old lumps of cloth which they tied together. and told him to put it under his arm holes, and lifted him out. He couldn't lift himself out, to save my friends with our God. He lifts us out, and lifts us out, and puts our feet upon a rock.

And you know, he wasn't left to know, he wasn't left to just think what's gonna happen now. We're told and established his gains. That means he was established in the things of God. Established in the pathway that God was leading him. A pathway that was for his eternal good. A pathway which established him in the truth of God's word. What a blessing it is, isn't it? To have such a God like that who not only comes and lifts us out of this pit that we've got into, perhaps we've fallen into, perhaps we've wandered into, whatever it is, God's come and lifted us out and established us upon the rock Christ Jesus.

And what does that do? Well, that shows us the right way. that we can rest in what Christ has done, not what we've done, but all our hope, casting all our care upon Him, believing He cares for us. This is the great and wonderful God that we have, who doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve so often. We deserve to be left in the pit that we wandered into, in the pit that we found ourselves in. But you see, God says, He brought me up, also out of this horrible pit, and this Maori clay. It's good that we have the combination of these two things, makes it virtually impossible. We might think we might be able to clamber out of a pit, but when it's slippery Maori clay, it's really impossible. And we need someone to come and lift us out, and who is that one? none other than our God, who knows all about us.

And then to think, he doesn't just bring us out and leave us, he then places our feet upon that rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then establish us in the truth of God, in the doctrines of God, in the ways of God, It's very humbling, isn't it, to think that we have such a kind and gracious and merciful God who doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve, doesn't deal with us as we deserve, but is long-suffering, full of mercy and compassion, and deals with us in love to our souls.

It's wonderful, isn't it, to think that here we have a God It was so kind and gracious and we're so ungrateful really in our lives. We have the Word of God and yet so often we turn our back upon it. We listen to the devil, we listen to his insinuations and the result is we fall into these pits and oh what painful experience it is.

But then to realise that we have a kind, gracious, merciful God who knows where we are and comes to us in our time of great need and delivers us and brings us out, put our feet upon the rock, Christ Jesus, and establishes our spiritual life. Oh, my friends, what a God we have, don't we? And how good it is if you and I, in our lives, can trace out God's dealings with us.

God does deal with his people. He does deal with his children. As we read in the 107th Psalm, with Israel of old, who were pretty disobedient, he led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation. And we have the same God. What a mercy to think that here it is that leads us today. in the right way that we might go eventually and arrive at our heavenly home in glory. Oh, how good our God is.

And so then, this experience brought David to this position. And it's good if he brings you and me to this position. we recognize the goodness of God and the mercy of God and the kindness of God toward us and the position he brought David to and I believe he does bring his people to also today and he has put a new song in my mouth well we're not sure what the songs were before they may not have been very edifying they may not have been very God glorifying but now he tells us he's put a new song in my mouth.

And what was that? Even praise unto our God. Praise is comely, the word of God tells us. Praise brings honour and glory to God. To think that that almighty God, the creator of all things, has looked upon us unworthy sinners, pulled us out of the pit, put us on the rock, established us in the things of God surely that is reason for a new song from us put a new song in my mouth again you see it's a personal experience it's a testimony that you and I offer up to Almighty God for that which is done And we're told what this new song is. Even praise unto our God.

I wonder the last time that you and I praised God for his goodness and praised God for his deliverance and praised God for his mercy. Well, here we're told there was this new song in my mouth even praise unto our God." And it wasn't a silent prayer. It wasn't a silent praise. Sometimes people make an excuse. They say, well, I gave thanks in my heart. Well, that's good. Nothing wrong with that. But also to give this praise so that, as we're told here, many shall see it. You and I are on this earth and we're told in Isaiah, ye are my witnesses. You and I are God's witnesses and you and I are to testify of his goodness and for his mercy and for his great blessing and so it says David here, and he knew about this himself. He knew how God had come and delivered him from those various evils that he got himself into. And he tells us then, he has put a new song in my heart, even praise unto our God, and many shall see it, many. Not just the odd person that you might think you can just speak to privately and No, it isn't like that at all.

And many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord. We live in a dark world, don't we? A dark age. And yet the Word of God clearly tells us that by His grace we are lights in this world, in this dark world. We are the light which shines And that light, of course, as it shines, what does it do? It shows forth the mercy and the love and the grace of the Saviour Himself.

I often think those words in the Psalms are very beautiful when the psalmist says, and let us exalt His name together. Join forces, join together. in exalting our God for what He has done. Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord. You see the effect. Wonderful, isn't it? It brings glory to God and it brings salvation to souls. What a plan we have before us here. laid down so very wonderfully and very gloriously.

Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord. Well, my friends, tonight may you and I truly praise God for His mercy and for His favours. And I hope we have a cause and a reason to praise God. Again, it's good, isn't it, to examine ourselves, where we are, what God has done for us, and to be able to recognize his great mercy and great love to such unworthy sinners and realize that we are, as the hymn writer says, a debtor to mercy alone. We are a debtor to mercy.

how good and kind and gracious our God is, to come to us, to bring us out of this pit, to put us on the rock, to establish us in the things of God, and then to give us this new song in our mouth, not just in our mind, it's in our mouth, to declare what he's done. And it's spelled out so we're not under any misunderstanding. Even praise unto our God. He is worthy, is he not? He's worthy of adoration. He's worthy of thankfulness. He's worthy of praise. Because these are eternal blessings. These are not something which are frivolous, something which are passing. Eternal blessings, a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God.

Many shall see it. The result and fear, fear God. Fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, we're told. And fear, fear God. And they then will also trust in the Lord. Here was David, he trusted in the Lord. He'd waited patiently, but he was trusting in the Lord. And that's what you and I must do. Waiting patiently, yes, but trusting in the Lord. There's our hope. Our hope's not in ourselves. It's in the mercy of God. And the mercy of God, as we know, is new every morning. As Jeremiah tells us in Lamentations, great is thy faithfulness.

Oh, my friends, what a God we have. How we should be very thankful and we should indeed praise Him and trust Him for all the future. The next verse just tells us, we won't go into it, but it just says this. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust. Well, may you and I tonight be amongst those who make the Lord our trust. And so we should be thankful tonight that we have an account like this in this 140th psalm. I just want you to refer to, we read the 106th psalm, we read it for, sorry, the 116th psalm. We read it for a reason, and the reason we read it was this.

The sixth verse in the 116th Psalm tells us this. The Lord preserveth the simple. We don't have to be complicated in our religion. The Lord preserveth the simple. He tells us this.

I was brought low. Here, David was brought low. And he held me. That's wonderful, isn't it? So sometimes we may find we're brought low But what a blessing to be able to confirm, yes, I was brought low, but the Lord helped me, just like really we have here in this statement before us.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God, because he brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the maury clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.

" Well, may we be encouraged by such statements in the Word of God, as now it's our turn to walk upon the earth. My friends, the world still is the same. It's still a sinful place, and we still need God to go before us, and we still need God to hear and answer prayer, and we still need God to come and deliver us.

And we still need God to put a new song in our mouth, even praise unto our God, so that many may see it and indeed trust in the Lord. Amen.