THE WAIT - Psalm 40 starts out with "waiting before the Lord". It is amazing throughout Scripture how often we see the importance of waiting on the Lord. Many times the very waiting is an act of worship on our part.
THE CRY - When we cry out for the presence of the Lord, He is there. He always turns and hears. The act of crying out is calling on His presence and in a practical kind of way practicing the presence of God in every situation we find ourselves.
THE PIT - We can't really fully appreciate where we are in the Lord until we look at the pit from which we came. Praise the Lord He lifts us out of the mud and mire of sin where we were stuck in the pit. The pit of despair is very real for those who don't know Him. We need to always remember from where we came.
THE RESCUE - Redemption is rescue from a life of despair into a life of security and song. From the pit to the rock is our rescue through Christ Jesus.
THE ROCK - He plants our feet on a solid rock and steadies us as we walk along with Him. He is the rock of our salvation. We go from sinking in the mud and mire to standing steady on solid ground through redemption in Him.
THE SONG - And, hallelujah, He gives us a new song to sing. Because all things are made new... that includes the song we are commanded to sing unto Him, and for others to see.
THE INFLUENCE - He and we influence others with this new song by singing it in the midst of all that life throws at us. We are promised that many will see and be amazed and therefore also trust in Him!
THE JOY - There is no joy in the trusting of things or idols of our own creation. Our joy comes in trusting Him day in and day out, moment by moment. The more we trust, the greater our joy in Him!
THE WONDERS - As we walk with Him, sing the new song, and trust fully in Him we will see the great wonders of His work in the past and in the "now" of our lives. God's plans and great deeds become more and more evident as we come to know Him in His fullness.
THE OFFERING AND SACRIFICE - It is made clear in this Psalm that the old offerings and sacrifices of the old covenant will not do once the Messiah has come. Christ is the final, once and for all sufficient sacrifice. He is now central to all our worship.
THE COMING - We see even in the coming of Christ into the world an example from Him for us in obedience and how obedience is so vital to our worship life. His coming brought glory to God and grace to man.
THE MERCIES - In the closing part of the Psalm we see the importance of God's mercy and grace through the lament of the Psalmist. All of our worship begins at the very throne of grace and mercy before a merciful God.
THE WORSHIP - Through redemption He has given us a new song, a hymn of praise to our God that many may see and fear and trust the Lord as they are led to His throne of mercy and grace from generation to generation! mjm
