“Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.” — Psalm 40:17 David is humble. He accepts when he is not able—and trusts the One who is able. He is not giving up. He is accepting the reality: he is afflicted—mistreated, troubled, disturbed. He does not pretend all is well. He also confesses to God that he is needy. He needs the deliverance of the Lord. Maybe you are in a situation of lack. Don't pretend all is well. Tell God your need tonight. Don't pretend you are not sick. Tell Him that the sickness is afflicting you. Tell Him that the laughter of your enemies is disturbing your peace. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” — Psalm 55:22 Do what David did. Ask the good Lord to be mindful of you—because He cares about you. He will. And David begs the Lord not to delay. Do the same. May God remember you through our Lord Jesus Christ. “Ca...

“Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘The Lord be magnified!’” — Psalm 40:16 After praying against his enemies—after asking God to shame those who said “Aha, aha!” —the Psalmist now turns his eyes upward. He shifts from fighting to rejoicing. David prays for two kinds of people here:   First: “Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You.” These are the ones who are looking for God. They are searching for Him. They have not given up. David prays that their seeking would end in rejoicing and gladness—not in disappointment.   Second: “Let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘The Lord be magnified!’” These are the ones who have already tasted God's deliverance. They love His salvation. And their mouths are not filled with complaints—but with continual praise: “The Lord be magnified!” What Does It Mean to Magnify the Lord? To magnify means to make something appear larger. When you magnify the Lord, yo...

“Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, ‘Aha, aha!’” — Psalm 40:15 Today's verse can be easily rejected by some Christians. But when used in its biblical context, it is sweet—like honey. This is not a mistake. This is the real, true, genuine heart of a man who loves God but has been mocked, laughed at, and called nothing and hopeless. The Psalmist is not pretending. He is asking for deliverance. He is asking for God's help. And he says: “Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, ‘Aha, aha!’” He is asking God to put his enemies to shame because of the great thing God has done—and will do—in his life. The salvation of the Lord from the trap of his enemies. He is asking God to disappoint his enemies by not granting him over to their will. Who Are These People? These are the ones who wish: · That you would lose your job · That you would never prosper in life · That you would never grow spiritually · That you would remain in chains ...

“Let those be ashamed and humiliated together who seek my life to destroy it; let those be turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt.” — Psalm 40:14 In today's verse, David shifts from crying out for his own deliverance to crying out against those who seek his harm. He is not being petty. He is not holding a grudge. He is handing over his enemies to the God who judges righteously. David mentions two groups:   First: Those who seek my life to destroy it. These are not people who simply dislike him. They want him dead. They are actively hunting his life. Second: Those who delight in my hurt. These are the ones who find joy in his suffering. When David stumbles, they celebrate. When he falls, they laugh. David prays that such people will be: Ashamed • Humiliated • Turned back • Dishonored What Do We Do with This Prayer? Some Christians struggle with verses like this. They think we should never pray against those who hurt us. But remember: 1. David was a man after God's ow...

“Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; make haste, O Lord, to help me.” — Psalm 40:13 In today's verse, David—who knew his standing—humbled himself and called on God to save him. He was in trouble. Evils beyond number had surrounded him. Iniquities had overtaken him. His heart had failed him. But David knew who could deliver him: the God of his fathers. So he cried out: “Be pleased, O LORD.” Some people, when trouble surrounds them, easily give up and accept total failure. Others are full of pride. They rely on themselves and refuse to humble themselves before God. They do not feel the need to call on Him as David did. Wrong doctrine has consumed them. Some claim: “We are in the dispensation of grace. God has already done it. It is finished. There is no need to call on Him for help. We are already delivered. We only give thanks.” Yes, we ought to give thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But we must first call on the name of Jesus and say: “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me fr...

“For evils beyond number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; they are more numerous than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me.” — Psalm 40:12 In verse 11, which we reflected on yesterday, we saw the Psalmist make statements of faith. First, that the Lord would not withhold His compassion from him. Second, that the Lord's lovingkindness and truth would preserve him continually. He believed in the Lord while he was in darkness—in uncertain situations and in sin. Things were not well on his side. And that is what we reflect on in today's verse. First: He Was Surrounded by Evils Beyond Number Evils in this context can mean uncertainty—plagues, locusts, attacks—but also sin. The Psalmist was saying he was surrounded by evils beyond number. That is terrible. What kind of evils are surrounding you now? Could it be; Barrenness? · Rejection? · Failure? · Calamity—loss of property or loved ones? · Disease? · Strange things aroun...

“You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.” — Psalm 40:11 I do not know what the Psalmist was going through—or what he saw ahead of him—that made him utter these Spirit-filled words of faith. But he spoke with boldness and trust in the Lord. I believe he understood the source of his help.  “You, O LORD...” He begins with: “You, O LORD...” — meaning no one else can, only the Lord Almighty alone. So what can the Lord do? First: He Will Not Withhold His Compassion “You will not withhold Your compassion from me.” This is a statement of faith. God will not withhold His compassion: 1. Compassion to blot out his transgression (Psalm 51:2) 2. Compassion to wrap him tight from his own shame and darkness Maybe you too—like myself—need the spotless, sanctifying compassion of the Lord to keep us nearer the cross. To pull us away from unrighteousness. To give us abundant life in Christ and hope beyond affliction. And...

“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.” — Psalm 40:10 In today's verse, the Psalmist continues to number what he has and what he has been doing. First: He Has Not Hidden God's Righteousness Within His Heart That means he has made known to men the righteousness of God—the great doing of the Lord. This includes the testimony of: 1. God's faithfulness — He actually keeps His promises. If God says, “I will bless you,” He means it. He is faithful to His word. 2. God's salvation — the deliverance of the Lord, His rescue, His grace and mercy. Second: He Has Not Concealed God's Lovingkindness and Truth Friends, God is loving. God is kind. I am telling you what I know: God loves you and is so kind to you. I know it because I have tasted His love and kindness—affection like no other. And finally, the truth of the Lord. Al...

“I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know.” — Psalm 40:9 The Psalmist declares that he has brought good news—the news of righteousness. Not silently. Not reluctantly. But openly, in the great congregation. Then he makes a vow before the Lord: “I will not restrain my lips.” May We Embrace the Same Call May we all embrace this same calling. Do not hold back the good news of righteousness in Christ. Speak it in your family. Speak it in your workplace. Speak it among the people of God. The Lord knows your heart. He knows your lips. Let them be open for His glory. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” — Romans 1:16 🙏 Let Me Pray with You Lord, loosen our lips. Take away the fear that silences us. Give us the boldness of the Psalmist—to proclaim glad tidings of righteousness wherever we go. In Jesus' name, Amen. Prayer Requests. Share...

“I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” — Psalm 40:8 Today's verse continues from yesterday—what was written of the Psalmist. It is written that David delights to do God's will and that God's law is within his heart. No wonder the Bible calls David a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). Could the Same Be Written of You? Do you delight to do God's will? To do what pleases God—which comes by faith alone? That means: To believe in God. To live for God. To seek first His kingdom and righteousness. To repent and turn back to Him. To give thanks in everything and praise to Him. To turn away from sin. To rejoice in the Lord· To depend on Him through daily time in the Word and prayer If you do these things, I must say: you are blessed. And I encourage you to continue in the same Spirit. Is God's Law Written in Your Heart? For David, it is written that God's law is in his heart—meaning he kept his way pure. And brethren, when we are pu...

“Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.’” — Psalm 40:7 In today's reading, David said that it is written of him in the scroll of the book. Have you ever thought of such a thing about yourself? I never have. But tonight, I am forced to reflect: What is written of me? Or what would be written of me in the scroll of the book? For now, let us just take time to ask God: *Is something written of us? Or has it already been written?* If so, may He reveal it to us. 🙏 Let Me Pray with You Father, You know me more than I know myself. Search my heart. Let something good be written of me—and of the friend reading this. In Jesus' name. Amen. Tomorrow, we will see what is written of the Psalmist and reflect on it as we move to the next verse. For Prayer Requests. Share them here: +256787353534 | oriokotsilas.praywithme@yahoo.com Kindly share this devotion with a friend and encourage them to follow this WhatsApp channel. What is written of you in the scr...

“Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; my ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.” — Psalm 40:6 Because of the many wonders God had done—and the many thoughts He had toward His people—the Psalmist wanted to offer sacrifice and a meal offering to the Lord. I believe many of us can relate. God has done great things in our lives: Many miracles. Many blessings. Many favors. Many healings. Many protections. Many cares And because of His awesome deeds, we wish we could do something to please Him. But Here Is What the Psalmist Learned He discovered that the Lord does not delight in sacrifice and offering alone. God is not impressed by ritual without relationship. Instead, he says: “My ears You have opened.”  Are your ears blocked from hearing the great doings of God? May the Lord open your ears to hear good news—news of victory, success, progress, forgiveness, and mercy. The Psalmist continues: “Burnt offering and sin offering You have not ...

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; there is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.” — Psalm 40:5 Today's verse is truly awesome. Yesterday, it seemed as though the Psalmist had paused and started another topic altogether. But today, he goes back to where he began—his testimony from the first three verses. He continues to praise the Lord. He speaks of many things, which we can group into two. First: Many Are the Wonders Which You Have Done In the Hebrew language, wonder is mowpheth—which means a sign or a miracle. So the Psalmist is saying: many are the signs or miracles the Lord has done. He is talking about: The beauty of creation. The great love of God. The great provision He has given. The sovereign protection of the Lord David particularly experienced the wonder of the Lord picking a nobody like him—a young shepherd boy—to be king over Israel. And I pray that some ...

“How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” — Psalm 40:4 In verses 1–3 of this Psalm, we saw a testimony being given by the Psalmist. Yesterday, we saw the new song—and I am so grateful to God that many people have come to my inbox testifying that God gave them a new song.  I am particularly drawn to the testimony of my sister Aturinda Deborah Tororo. She wrote:   “Praise the Lord! Thank you so much for the messages of a new song. I thank God that last week He gave me a new song. I am doing my PhD in Education, and I had almost lost hope after contacting some people to lend me money to do exams and pay later. Everyone turned down my request. I requested permission and paid 1 million that my uncle borrowed for me from a savings group, and I was given permission for only two days. Now a new song came in. On the first day of my first exam, a friend whom I am not related to by blood called a...

“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.” — Psalm 40:3 In today's verse, the Psalmist continues to testify of the Lord's doing. Yesterday we saw God's deliverance—how He brought him out of the pit of destruction and the miry clay and set his feet upon a rock.  Today, he gives us another testimony: God put a new song in his mouth. The song was unique in two ways.  First, it is a song of praise to our God. Whenever a miracle happens, it will always bring praise to God. I do not know what songs you have been singing. Maybe you have been singing songs of lack, songs of sorrow, songs of constant failure, songs of singleness, songs of an unhappy marriage, songs of anxiety and pain, songs of trouble, songs of bitterness. But when God comes to do His great work in your life—when you call on Jesus Christ—He will deliver you and put in you a new song. Like King David, he sang of God pulling him out of the pit and ...