大衛的見證
詩篇四十篇1至11節
1（大衛的詩，交與伶長。）我曾耐性等候耶和華；他垂聽我的呼求。
2他從禍坑裡，從淤泥中，把我拉上來，使我的腳立在磐石上，使我腳步穩當。
3他使我口唱新歌，就是讚美我們神的話。許多人必看見而懼怕，並要倚靠耶和華。
4那倚靠耶和華、不理會狂傲和偏向虛假之輩的，這人便為有福！
5耶和華─我的神啊，你所行的奇事，並你向我們所懷的意念甚多，不能向你陳明。若要陳明，其事不可勝數。
6祭物和禮物，你不喜悅；你已經開通我的耳朵。燔祭和贖罪祭非你所要。
7那時我說：看哪，我來了！我的事在經卷上已經記載了。
8我的神啊，我樂意照你的旨意行；你的律法在我心裡。
9我在大會中宣傳公義的佳音；我必不止住我的嘴唇。耶和華啊，這是你所知道的。
10我未曾把你的公義藏在心裡；我已陳明你的信實和你的救恩；我在大會中未曾隱瞞你的慈愛和誠實。
11耶和華啊，求你不要向我止住你的慈悲！願你的慈愛和誠實常常保佑我！
信息分享
我們並不確實知道大衛在何時寫這篇詩；但從詩的內容顯示，他剛剛經歷了神的拯救，所以大抵可推論他是寫於兒子押沙龍叛變的期間(參撒下十五至十八章)。
我們未必與大衛有相同的經歷，可是，大衛在頭幾節所寫的見證，卻能引起我們的共鳴。大衛一開始便說：「我曾耐性等候耶和華」，讓我們撫心自問，我們曾否為到我們所祈求的，去耐心等候神？要耐心地等候神，絕不是一件容易的事。然而，且看大衛的下一句：「他垂聽我的呼求」。神彷彿一聽見大衛的呼求，就轉臉望向他(神的眼目其實從沒離開他)；得知他向自己求救之後，神便馬上拯救他。情況就仿如大衛掉進泥沼之中，正往下沉之際，他急忙向神呼求。你曾否有過類似的經驗呢？
就在這命在旦夕之間，神馬上來到他的面前，伸出祂的手，把他從危難中救拔出來。此刻的大衛，只感覺雙腳再次站在神那充滿能力和慈愛的堅固磐石之上。
這種起死回生的感覺，令到大衛只想歡呼高唱。你曾經有過類似的感覺嗎？當神在危難中拯救了你，你在感激之餘，只想不斷地高歌讚美神。請看第9節。大衛不單要高歌讚美神，他更要把神的作為告訴神的百姓，要他們跟他一起去頌讚神。
但願我們都學像大衛一樣，歡喜快樂地向人傳講神的美善，讓別人能與我們一同頌讚神的恩典。
你有沒有唱過這首詩歌，歌詞大意是：
我們尊崇的神是何等美善，祂是信實不改變的朋友。
祂的慈愛跟祂的權能同樣偉大，不可測度、永不止息。
今天就跟你的朋友分享神在你身上的作為吧！
DAVID’S PERSONAL TESTIMONY
Psalm 40: 1 – 11
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 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.
3 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.
4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 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.
6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You Yourself know.
10 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.
11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
Message
We do not know just when David wrote this Psalm. It must have been after some great deliverance by God, possibly about the time of Absalom’s rebellion and death (2 Samuel 15 to 18).
But each one of us can identify with David’s testimony in the first few verses. Look at the words, ‘I waited patiently for the Lord’. Have you ever had to wait for God to answer your prayer? It hasn’t been easy to wait patiently has it? Then God turned toward David (actually he had never turned away) and heard David’s cry and delivered him from the circumstances he was in. These circumstances seemed like a deep pit with a muddy floor into which David was sinking. Gave you ever felt like that?
Then God came and putting his hand down, pulled David right out of the pit. David found his feet were on the solid rock of God’s power and love.
That made David feel like singing and shouting. You have felt like that, haven’t you? God has done so much for you that you just felt like singing his praise all day long. Look at verse 9 also. David told God’s people all that God had done for him and they all had a great meeting of praise together.
Isn’t it wonderful to share the story of God’s goodness with others? We encourage each other tremendously in that way.
Do you know this chorus?
‘How good is the God we adore
Our faithful unchangeable friend
Whose love is as great as his power
And knows neither measure nor end.’
Tell someone else today what God has done for you.