May 20, 2026
When The Pit Becomes The Platform
I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord. — Psalm 40:1-3
• When God brings us up from trouble, He brings us to a new tune and testimony.
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. — Psalm 40:4-5
• It doesn't matter what others thought of you when you know God's thoughts toward you.
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart." — Psalm 40:6-8
• Jesus came as the perfect willing Servant and the final sufficient Sacrifice.
I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly. — Psalm 40:9-10
• A life full of Christ produces lips full of Christ.
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me. — Psalm 40:11-12
• The mountain peaks of revelation are often followed by valleys of desperation.
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me! Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil. Let them be confounded because of their shame, Who say to me, "Aha, aha!" — Psalm 40:13-15
• Trusting God's justice keeps the righteous from becoming unrighteous.
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, "The Lord be magnified!" But I am poor and needy; Yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. — Psalm 40:16-17
• Faith is not the absence of trouble, but confidence in God amid trouble.
• Faith knows how to wait downward, how to worship upward, and how to walk forward.
Discussion Questions
1. Psalm 40 opens with David waiting on God in a "horrible pit" before being lifted to a "new song." Can you think of a time when God brought you through a difficult season and gave you a new perspective or testimony on the other side?
2. The message points out that knowing God's thoughts toward us changes how much we care about what others think of us. How does reflecting on God's love and attention toward you personally affect the way you handle criticism or rejection from others?
3. David declares that God desires open ears and a willing heart more than religious ritual — and the sermon connects this to Jesus as the perfect willing Servant. What does it look like practically for you to come before God with a heart that says, "I delight to do Your will"?
4. The sermon describes how the mountain peaks of revelation are often followed by valleys of desperation — David moves from praise to crying out about his failures in the same psalm. How does it encourage you to know that honest struggle and deep faith can coexist?
5. The message closes with the idea that faith knows how to wait downward, worship upward, and walk forward. Which of those three movements is hardest for you right now, and what would it look like to lean into it this week?