Summer of Psalms | Psalm 40

It's summer!!! I don't know what that means for you: whether you love summer, love your alone time, love the extra time you get to spend with friends or you are super busy and away from community and summer is kind of hard for you. I've had both, and I can tell you from experience, wherever you find yourself on the spectrum, there is a psalm for you, and it may just be Psalm 40. I love reading Psalms because I feel like they give me permission to be real with God no matter how I'm feeling. You see, psalmists write about how they are mad, joyful, lonely, etc. Basically, any emotion you can imagine can be found in a psalm.

At the beginning of Psalm 40 we see David reflecting on God's past faithfulness to him which turns into a powerful prayer of protection at the end of the psalm.

"He turned to me and heard my cry." - (Verse 2)

"Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us." - (Verse 5)

Just taking a little bit of time to remember what God has done for you, how faithful He is, is so powerful. And it enables the faith-filled prayer we see later in this Psalm. In Luke 18:1-6, Jesus tells his disciples how they should always pray and not give up. Remembering how God has been faithful in the past is the easiest way to sustain this kind of prayer life. It's really hard to continue asking God for things when you've forgotten all that He has already done.

I'm working at a summer camp right now, and I'm about to start my fifth week here. It can be so easy to get complacent as the weeks go by. I get into my routine and start losing some of the enjoyment and excitement I had. Something our bosses tell us every Sunday that I love is that this is every kids' Week 1, so we have to bring just as much excitement and energy. That can be really difficult after several weeks of minimal sleep, being out in the hot sun every day, and dealing with 250 kids of all ages and backgrounds. So, every Sunday I try to remember the excitement and energy I felt that very first week I was ever at FlipFest and it helps so much. The same can be true when you get in the day to day of life and you feel stuck like on a merry go round. Remember the faithfulness of God and remember that He's always there to help you through it, to pull you out of the pit. He gives us a firm place to stand: on His faithfulness.

I'm obsessed right now with the song "Do It Again" by Elevation Worship. I could listen to it on repeat all day, and I was just reminded of it as I was reading through Psalm 40. He never fails us. His promises are good. And He is so faithful. Take some time to reflect on His faithfulness today and remember that whatever He's done for you in the past, He can do it again.

Prayer

Jesus, give us the grace to remember Your faithfulness in every season. Let our hearts be filled with thankfulness for the things You've done, but may we also be filled with boldness to continue asking and praying for the things You've put on our hearts. As we patiently wait on You to move, may we never give You rest but always be thankful and remember Your faithfulness.

Author | Abigail Bradley