A Devo From Scot - Psalm 40
Dear Church,
If you joined us on Sunday morning - in-person, online or afterward - you will remember an encouragement from Psalm 40. My challenge was to read and pray through Psalm 40 every day this week. It is a timely word that perfectly fits this stage of our challenge. Psalm 40. Trust me.
I don’t know about you, but as a child of the 70’s and 80’s I usually hear U2 in the distant background when I come to this ancient song. I will sing….sing a new song….
Not sure if you’ve ever read the same paragraph in a book five or six times, but at the outset this practice doesn’t sound like it makes much sense. I get it. But I want to show you something. If you walk with me this week, you will see just a glimpse - but a breathtakingly brilliant glimpse - of the astounding depth and power of God’s Living Word. Read the same words five or six days in a row? Pray the same words? Yes.
While you will read and pray through the same words, I trust you will find that the words are not the same at all.
Read them again today. If you haven’t started, start today. At first you’ll notice something brilliant in the beginning. Perhaps your heart will connect the line that God “put a new song in my mouth” with the later expression that “many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us.” It seems that these “many wonders” and “many thoughts” are the seeds of many new songs of worship and gratitude. Maybe your heart will sing a new song.
Read them again tomorrow and your eyes will recognize the words, but your heart will cling to something new, after it rejoices and remembers what it heard yesterday. Perhaps you’ll focus attention on the line, “I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation.” This has now moved from private worship to corporate worship. These new songs are meant to be shared.
Read the same words - the whole psalm - again the next day and God will bring something new to your mind. It will likely be something very personal, powerfully relevant and timely, as if it was written to only you, for that very day. This is the beauty of God’s Word. Always the same. Ever new. Simple enough for a child. Rich enough for the scholar.
As the most unusual summer on record comes to an all-to-rapid close and school sessions begin in various forms around the country, we desperately need a new song. We also need to be reminded of the sturdy, resilient, trustworthy strength of our Great God and Savior. When all around are shifting sands and tentative supports, our Constant Father calls clear and long. Trust Me. Dwell deeply in Me.
I love you church.
Scot
If you joined us on Sunday morning - in-person, online or afterward - you will remember an encouragement from Psalm 40. My challenge was to read and pray through Psalm 40 every day this week. It is a timely word that perfectly fits this stage of our challenge. Psalm 40. Trust me.
I don’t know about you, but as a child of the 70’s and 80’s I usually hear U2 in the distant background when I come to this ancient song. I will sing….sing a new song….
Not sure if you’ve ever read the same paragraph in a book five or six times, but at the outset this practice doesn’t sound like it makes much sense. I get it. But I want to show you something. If you walk with me this week, you will see just a glimpse - but a breathtakingly brilliant glimpse - of the astounding depth and power of God’s Living Word. Read the same words five or six days in a row? Pray the same words? Yes.
While you will read and pray through the same words, I trust you will find that the words are not the same at all.
Read them again today. If you haven’t started, start today. At first you’ll notice something brilliant in the beginning. Perhaps your heart will connect the line that God “put a new song in my mouth” with the later expression that “many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us.” It seems that these “many wonders” and “many thoughts” are the seeds of many new songs of worship and gratitude. Maybe your heart will sing a new song.
Read them again tomorrow and your eyes will recognize the words, but your heart will cling to something new, after it rejoices and remembers what it heard yesterday. Perhaps you’ll focus attention on the line, “I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation.” This has now moved from private worship to corporate worship. These new songs are meant to be shared.
Read the same words - the whole psalm - again the next day and God will bring something new to your mind. It will likely be something very personal, powerfully relevant and timely, as if it was written to only you, for that very day. This is the beauty of God’s Word. Always the same. Ever new. Simple enough for a child. Rich enough for the scholar.
As the most unusual summer on record comes to an all-to-rapid close and school sessions begin in various forms around the country, we desperately need a new song. We also need to be reminded of the sturdy, resilient, trustworthy strength of our Great God and Savior. When all around are shifting sands and tentative supports, our Constant Father calls clear and long. Trust Me. Dwell deeply in Me.
I love you church.
Scot