(Psalm 40:2)  “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.”

David, the human writer of this Psalm tells us that he waited patiently for the Lord. In my first devotion, Waiting Patiently (Part One on Psalm 40:1), I stated that I find it hard to wait on God when I want immediate relief from difficult circumstances, or specific needs and desires I may have. I concluded that if God said it; He will do it. I have to take God at His Word. In the second devotion, I wrote about how the Lord inclined (bowed down; taken aside, declined) unto him (that is, to David’s cry), and heard his cry (or his petition). God hears the petition and cry of His children. They may not always get fast relief or a quick answer; yet the children of God are to wait patiently on the Lord, as the Psalmist David did.

In this devotion, I will focus on the testimony the Psalmist has given us in answer to his petition: “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.”

This reminds me of an old hymn that says, “I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore; very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; but the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, and from the waters lifted me, now safe am I, Love lifted me; love lifted me when nothing else could help; love lifted me.”

We have the testimony of David that God inclined unto him; heard his cry; and brought him out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay. Child of God, do you remember the day your deliverance came? Do you remember when you cried out to God; and He inclined unto you, and heard your cry from drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic abuse or whatever your horrible pit and miry clay may have been?

All you knew is that you were sinking deeper and deeper, and the only One who could help was God:

(Psa 18:6) “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”

(Psa 34:17)  “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

There are many great and precious promises given to the righteous. But, what about those who are not righteous, you may ask? To you I say, where is your heart? David wrote in (Psa 34:18) “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” This is the cry that God hears and answers.

As David gives us his testimony of God’s deliverance, he also tells us that God gave him a sure foundation to stand on, (Ps. 40:2) “…and set my feet upon a rock,” and gave David direction in life, “and established my goings.” When we were in the miry clay of sin, the only thing we could do was sink further in it like quicksand. But God, Who is rich in mercy, gave us a Rock to stand on and that Rock was Jesus; “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand,”

(Psa 37:23) “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”

 (Pro 16:9)  “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

Children of God, let us not forget where God delivered us from: “…a horrible pit and miry clay.” Also, let us not forget what God has done for us: “…set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.”