Unveil by Jon EganSample

Day 2: Be Strong

I love how raw Psalm 40 reads in The Message.

“I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.

He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud.

He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip.

He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God.

More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery,

abandoning themselves to God.”

In this version, ‘waiting patiently’ is experienced so realistically in David’s voice —“I waited”. And waited… And still waiting. Anybody relate? It’s almost sarcastic. The relief is not coming!

And then comes my favorite part. In complete honesty, he says, “At last he looked; finally he listened.” Finally! I’ve been crying out over and over and over again. Finally, God, you listened!

Think about the things you’re believing for —the things you’ve cried out for. Have you shelved these prayers because your answer has not yet come? One of the things we can learn from David here is the art of patience. You’re in good company if you find yourself waiting.

In many other moments in the Psalms, David specifically speaks to his own soul. Psalm 103:1, “Praise the Lord my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” I love this expression of worship. We typically express our worship through songs to God and, no question, this is one of the purest expressions of worship. But another expression is singing over ourselves. What can we sing when our soul needs truth? What can we sing over ourselves as we wait for rescue?

We can command our souls to be strong. Sometimes our soul needs to hear our own mouths confess the truth of our Savior. “Be strong! Be not afraid, for the Lord is soon on His way. He will breakthrough, he’ll tear through the night.”

 We can sing this, even when we don’t feel it, because we know he will come. When he turned to hear David’s cry, God lifted him out of the pit that he had already spent some time in. That pit may have felt hopeless but even in despair, David’s rescue was coming. God put his feet on solid rock and put a new song in his mouth! This rescue is on its way for us all. In the meantime, keep singing the reminder to your soul — be strong.