My Help and My Deliverer

One Saturday morning, when I was around ten years old, my elder brother Stuart and I were running and jumping off the side of our street down an embankment into a white sand pit left by builders. It was a lot of fun. At first anyway!

The object of our game was to see who could jump the furthest. I kept trying to increase my “personal best” even after my brother lost interest and walked back home. In preparation for my final leap, I got myself mentally psyched up, ran as fast as I could, and bounded high into the air to boost my trajectory. But upon landing I hyperextended my left knee. A sharp pain shot through my leg.

I had ruptured several blood vessels. My knee started swelling up like a balloon. I lay there helplessly in the pit. In a state of panic, I cried out to my brother as loud as I could, “Stuart! Stuart! Help me!” But, he was too far away to hear me. Eventually I managed to drag myself up the hill onto the street with my arms. “Help! Help! I can’t move!” I hollered.

My dad happened to be standing in front of our house with my brother and spotted me. At first they thought I was pretending. But—pretty soon—they realized I was actually injured. They ran over to see what was wrong. My dad picked me up and carried me back to the house.

I ended up in the hospital where the doctor inserted a needle to siphon the blood out of my engorged knee. A day later, I was sent home with a blue cast that covered my entire leg. All the sympathy and attention I received upon returning to school was very cool, especially from the girls. But I wouldn’t have chosen to experience this ordeal again.

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a pit? Trapped. Hurting. Injured. If not in a literal pit—perhaps an emotional or spiritual one? If you have or are, you’re in good company. In the Bible we read of a number of heroes of faith who landed in such dire circumstances: Joseph, Daniel, and Jeremiah to name just a few.

The biblical character I would like to focus my attention on, however, is David. He writes about his experience of being in the pit and also being delivered by God in Psalm 40. This beautiful Psalm addresses several themes that we can all relate to in our own lives. David describes the emotional agony of being ensnared in the miry bog and how he cried out to the Lord for help.

The “pit” can represent any number of life’s trials. Your pit could be poor health, the loss of your job and financial security, betrayal by friends, an unfaithful mate, rebellious children, or some other overwhelming problem. You may be personally responsible for landing in the pit, or you may be a victim of the sins or mistakes of others.

David models for us what to do when we find ourselves in the pits of life in Psalm 40 (ESV).

My Help and My Deliverer

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

  40 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ear.[a]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance[b]
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
12 For evils have encompassed me
    beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

16 But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;

    do not delay, O my God! 

We can break down Psalm 40 into seven points for consideration. When you find yourself in the pit or the depths of discouragement and despair, you should respond in the following ways:

1. Wait. You need to wait intently on God to deliver you from trouble (verses 1-3).

2. Trust. You will be blessed for trusting in the Lord and not men or your own devices (verses 4-5).

3. Obey. You will do well to recognize what God desires from you and what He doesn’t (verses 6-8).

4. Proclaim. You need to remember to share the good news of God’s deliverance and his steadfast love (verses 9-10).

5. Pray. You are the recipient of God’s mercy, steadfast love, and faithfulness (verses 11-15).

6. Seek & Rejoice. You should want all people who seek God to find joy and gladness in Him (verse 16).

7. Give Thanks. You are weak and vulnerable, but the Lord sees your struggles and cares about your safety and well-being. Therefore, express to Him your gratitude (verse 17).

Many people either ignore God or view him as being far-removed and disinterested concerning the intricacies or difficulties of their lives. But this is simply not the case at all. God is ever-present and deeply concerned about each one of us.

You can cry out to the Lord to save you from the pits of despair, discouragement and destruction. God will listen and respond to your pleas for help.