PSALM CHAPTER 40

Getting Used To God’s Timing:
A Growth Issue For Us All !


The Blessings Of Waiting For God’s Time !!




1. THE ASSURANCE IS BASED UPON KNOWING THAT YOU DID WHAT HE WANTED. V.1.
          “OUR CONFIDENCE”= I JOHN 3:21-22.
   A. HE HAD TO WAIT.
          —AS MOST BELIEVERS DO. MATT 7:7.
          —NOT AS THE UNBELIEVERS. JOHN 5:3. DIFFERENT TYPES OF
              WAITING. EVERYONE WAITED BUT FEW WERE READY.
          —BIBLICAL WAITING REQUIRES ACTING UPON OUR
              KNOWLEDGE. LUKE 8:40, LUKE 2:25-27.
   B. HE HAD TO WAIT IN A SPECIFIC MANNER: PATIENTLY.
          —WE HAVE A GOD OF PATIENCE. ROM. 15:5.
          —WE NEED PATIENCE LIKE HIS (LOOOONG !) JAMES 5:7.
          —CAN’T LET THE TEMPORARY ADVANCE OF THE WICKED
              DISTRACT OR DISCOURAGE US. PSALM 37:7.
          —CAN’T LET THE LENGTH OF TIME BE A DISCOURAGEMENT TO
              US. HEB. 6:13-16.
          —WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SOMETHING WHILE
              WAITING.
                 >BECOMING MORE ESTABLISHED IN THE LORD. JAMES 5:7-8
                 >LEARNING TO LIVE AS GOD EXPECTS US TO. 2 THES. 3:5-6.
          —IF WE CAN’T DO IT ON OUR OWN, GOD WILL PROVIDE THE
              MEANS TO LEARN PATIENCE. JAMES 1:3.
          —BEING PATIENT DOES NOT MEAN BEING APATHETIC. REV. 2:2

2. THE RESULTS ARE NOTHING SHORT OF MIRACULOUS. V.2-3.
   A. HE BRINGS US UPWARD. (WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE
         REALLY COMING FROM). I PET. 3:21, ISAIAH 64:6, ISAIAH 6:5.
   B. HE PLACES US ON FIRM GROUND. PSALM 62:2,6, 2 SAM. 22:2.
   C. HE SETS OUR PATH FOR THE FUTURE. 2 TIM. 1:9, PS. 18:36.
   D. HE PUT A NEW SONG IN OUR MOUTHS. (ANOTHER “VICTORY
         IN JESUS !”) PSALM 98:1, REV. 5:9,
          —TO WHOM IS IT SUNG ? PS. 96:1, PS. 144:9.
   E. HE EXPANDS OUR TESTIMONY AND EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH
         EFFECTIVE PRAISE TO GOD. V. 3. BRINGS ABOUT THE DESIRE
         TO FEAR THE LORD. NEH. 1:11, MATT. 8:4.

3. THERE ARE BLESSINGS FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT DISTRACTED
FROM GOD’S WAYS.
V. 4      (REQUIRES SPIRITUAL INSIGHT).
   A. HAPPY IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTS THE LORD.
          —MERCY IS A DIRECT ACCOMPANIMENT. PS. 32:10.
          —THE CURSE ON THOSE WHO TRUST OTHERWISE. JER. 17:5.
   B. HAPPY IS HE WHO DOES NOT RESPECT THE PROUD OR LIARS.
          —THEY ALL GET JUDGED. COL. 3:25.
          —GOD JUDGES ON THE BASIS OF WHAT DEEDS ARE DONE,
              NOT WHO THE PERSON IS. 1 PETER 1:17, COL. 3:25.
   C. HAPPY IS HE WHO KNOWS THE PURPOSES OF GOD.V. 5-6,
        COL. 1:9.
          —BLESSINGS SHOULD NOT BE THE SOLE REASON FOR
              PRAISE. REV. 4:11, REV. 5:9
          —BURNT OFFERINGS AND SIN OFFERINGS ARE NOT REQUIRED.
              EMPHASIS: OPTIONAL ! BUT, IT REVEALED FAITH, THE TRUE
                    REQUIREMENT. ROM. 4:3, HEB. 11:17.
              >WHY ARE THEY DEMANDED OF THE JEWS IN THE OT ?
                  DEUT. 26:18, EX. 12:14, EX. 31:14, LEV. 16:31, LEV. 25:10,
                  LEV. 23:36.
                  —IT WAS WRITTEN FOR THEM, BUT REQUIRED OF ALL.
                      DIDN’T NON-JEWS OFFER SACRIFICES ? HEB. 11:4.
              >WHY THEN DID JESUS DIE AS THE LAMB OF GOD ?
                  HEB. 9:22, ROM. 3:25.
              >GOD COMMANDS ALL PEOPLE TO REPENT.
                  FAILURE TO DO SO RESULTS IN DEATH. ACTS 17:30.
                  FAILURE TO DO SO RESULTS IN TROUBLES. REV. 2:22.
              >GOD MAKES COMPLIANCE A MATTER OF PERSONAL CHOICE.
                  JOHN 7:37, JOSHUA 24:15, MATTHEW 11:28.

4. MY SPIRITUAL CHECKLIST TO MAKE CERTAIN I AM READY TO RECEIVE. V. 8-13.
                   
MATTHEW 18:1-5. **WTIHOUT THESE FACTORS, IT IS UNLIKELY
                                      THE PERSON IS READY TO RECEIVE.


   A. MY DELIGHT IS IN DOING GOD’S WILL. PS. 119:24,77,174,
        HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE “DELIGHT” ? (THE
        WORDS, “DELIGHT” AND “LAW” ARE INSEPARABLY USED)
        MAKE IT A PART OF YOUR HEART. V. 8.
        —NOT IMPORTANT TO “KNOW YOUR INNER CHILD.”
             PROV. 18:2.
   B. I PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD TO EVERYONE. V.9
        IT IS A REQUIRED FORM OF TESTIMONY. ROMANS 10:10
        —MARK 13:10, MARK 16:15.
   C. I HAVE NOT HID RIGHTEOUSNESSNESS INSIDE ME. V.10.
        —DANGEROUS TO DO. ASK LOT. 2 PETER 2:8.
   D. I HAVE NOT HIDDEN GOD’S TRUTH FROM OTHERS.
        —”BUT THEY WILL BE OFFENDED !” YES. TAKE A STAND.
        I PETER 2:8, 2 TIMOTHY 4:3, MATTHEW 10:24,25.

5. WAITING IS FRUITLESS UNLESS I TRUST IN GOD’S GRACE.
   A. I AM NOT WORTHY IN MYSELF TO RECEIVE. V.11.
   B. MY OWN HEART FAILS ME. *RECOGNIZING THIS REQUIRES AN
        HONESTY WHICH FEW HAVE. V.12.
          —TROUBLE WITH THE LAST DAYS CHURCH: REV. 3:19.
          —COMES THROUGH SELF-EXAMINATION. I COR. 11:28,
               2 COR. 13:5, NEED FURTHER HELP—PS. 26:2. PS. 139:23,
          —IT IS THE WORK OF THOSE SEEKING RESTORATION. LAM. 3:40.
          —COMES THROUGH KNOWING THE HOLINESS OF GOD. IS. 6:5,
              >PAUL ACKNOWLEDGES NEED FOR MORE OF GOD. EPH. 4:13.
              >JACOB KNEW HE WAS NOT. GEN 32:10.
              >JOHN THE BAPTIST KNEW HE WAS NOT. JOHN 1:27.
              >MANY WHO RECEIVED MIRACLES ACKNOWLEDGED THEY
                 WERE NOT WORTHY.
                  —WHEN SOLOMON WAS CLOSE TO GOD. I KINGS 3:7.
                  —THE CENTURIAN WAS TYPICAL OF MANY. MATT. 8:8.

6. WAITING DOESN’T MEAN THAT I DON’T WANT THINGS IN A HURRY. V. 13 & 17.
               PS. 31:2, PS. 69:17.
   A. THIS IS REALISTIC. SOME THINGS CAN’T SEEM TO COME SOON
        ENOUGH. MATT. 14:30.
   B. HARD TO UNDERSTAND EACH BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE ALL
        THE TIME
          —ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. ROM. 8:28.
          —A DAY IS AS A THOUSAND YEARS WITH THE LORD. 2 PET. 3:8.
          —GOD’S TIMING IS ALWAYS RIGHT. HEB. 4:16.
          —WE CAN OBTAIN PATIENCE. I THES. 5:14, JAMES 5:7.

7. PATIENCE FOR THE JUSTICE OF GOD TO ALL.    V. 13-17.
   A. EXPECTING IT TO BE FOR YOU.
          —JESUS PAID FOR YOUR SINS. 1 PETER 2:24.
              GAL. 1:4 (“EVIL WORLD” CONCEPT LOST TODAY !)
   B. THE LOST SHALL PAY FOR THEIR OWN SINS.
          —GOD DOES NOT EXPECT US TO LOSE THE CONCEPT
              OF HIS JUSTICE:
          SEEN IN HIS ANGER AT LAST DAYS REJECTERS. 2 Thess. 2:11
          SEEN IN HIS ANGER AT REBLLION BY ANYONE.
             PS. 9:48, JOHN 12:48, 2 PETER 2:4.
          SEEN IN HIS COMMAND REGARDING POST-TRIB. LUKE 19:27.
          SEEN IN WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT. REV. 20:12.