Psalm 40 – I Waited Before and I Am Still Waiting

Oct 5, 2025 | Pastor's Blog, Psalms

Timeless Biblical Truth.

Giving thanks for past blessings encourages the LORD’S people to a greater dedication to Him and a greater faith for asking Him to help in a time of trouble.

  1. Past: The LORD’S wondrous acts of deliverance inspire His people to praise Him (1-5).
    1. Personal: The LORD’S acts of salvation are amazing and are to be praised (1-3).
      1. Answers to believers’ prayers may require from them an expectant perseverance (1a).
      2. The LORD’S deliverance causes His people to praise Him (1b-3).
        1. Result #1: Prayers to the LORD give Him an opportunity to answer them (1b-2).
          1. General statement: The LORD graciously answers His people’s prayers (1b).
          2. More specific statement: The LORD completely delivers His people from extreme difficulties (2).
            1. Negative: The LORD delivers from destruction (2a).
            2. Positive: The LORD delivers to security (2b).
        2. Result #2: The LORD’S deliverance causes praise and encourages others to have faith in Him (3).
          1. The LORD’S deliverance causes believers to praise Him (3a).
          2. A believer’s public praise encourages the faith of others (3b).
    2. Principle: Exclusively trusting the LORD brings a blessing (4).
    3. Praise: His people are to praise the LORD for His wonderful works and uniqueness (5).
  2. Present: The LORD’S answers to His people’s prayers (i.e., His wonderful acts of deliverance) call them to a deeper dedication to Him (6-11). Five aspects of this “deeper dedication” are:
    1. A “deeper dedication” calls for more than doing ritual (6a, c).
    2. A “deeper dedication” confesses the LORD’S ownership over one (6b).
    3. A “deeper dedication” calls for a delightful and informed obedience to the LORD’S instructions (7-8).
    4. A “deeper dedication” calls for a public proclamation of the LORD’S faithfulness to His people (9-10).
    5. A “deeper dedication”, because of the LORD’S past acts of deliverance, inspires confidence in Him for their future prayers (11).
  3. Present and future: Because the LORD helps and delivers His people, they may pray to be rescued from those who seek to do them great evil so that He will receive glory (12-17).
    1. The overwhelming evil believers suffer is sometimes due to their sin (12).
    2. The LORD can deliver His people from those who would destroy them so that they might declare His greatness (13-16).
      1. Negative: His people may pray for a swift deliverance from those who seek to do evil to them (13-15).
      2. Positive: His people may pray that the LORD would give them reasons to praise Him (16).
    3. The LORD has plans for each of His children, causing them to pray confidently (17).

Questions for Second Milers

    1. How does the experience David described in verses 1 through 5 seem to fulfill his requests in the two previous psalms (Psalms 38 and 39)?
    2. To what extent does David’s perseverance in waiting for deliverance (verse 1) describe your attitude toward stress and delayed answers to prayer?
    3. What are David’s attitudes towards (a) himself, (b) his enemies, and (c) God? Why does he hold such attitudes?
    4. What in this psalm reveals to us what God require of each of us?
    5. How would you describe the contrast in the tone of the opening (verses 1-5) and the conclusion sections (verses 11-17)? What happened to David (and to us) that would lead him to write this psalm in this order?
    6. What attitudes in your life towards your sins, failures, and triumphs does the psalm suggest as being appropriate?
    7. Give your own short title to this psalm (so as to make this psalm stand out in your memory).
The Bible Church of the Lakes