大卫的见证
诗篇四十篇1至11节
1（大卫的诗，交与伶长。）我曾耐性等候耶和华；他垂听我的呼求。
2他从祸坑里，从淤泥中，把我拉上来，使我的脚立在磐石上，使我脚步稳当。
3他使我口唱新歌，就是赞美我们神的话。许多人必看见而惧怕，并要倚靠耶和华。
4那倚靠耶和华、不理会狂傲和偏向虚假之辈的，这人便为有福！
5耶和华─我的神啊，你所行的奇事，并你向我们所怀的意念甚多，不能向你陈明。若要陈明，其事不可胜数。
6祭物和礼物，你不喜悦；你已经开通我的耳朵。燔祭和赎罪祭非你所要。
7那时我说：看哪，我来了！我的事在经卷上已经记载了。
8我的神啊，我乐意照你的旨意行；你的律法在我心里。
9我在大会中宣传公义的佳音；我必不止住我的嘴唇。耶和华啊，这是你所知道的。
10我未曾把你的公义藏在心里；我已陈明你的信实和你的救恩；我在大会中未曾隐瞒你的慈爱和诚实。
11耶和华啊，求你不要向我止住你的慈悲！愿你的慈爱和诚实常常保佑我！
信息分享
我们并不确实知道大卫在何时写这篇诗；但从诗的内容显示，他刚刚经历了神的拯救，所以大抵可推论他是写于儿子押沙龙叛变的期间(参撒下十五至十八章)。
我们未必与大卫有相同的经历，可是，大卫在头几节所写的见证，却能引起我们的共鸣。大卫一开始便说：「我曾耐性等候耶和华」，让我们抚心自问，我们曾否为到我们所祈求的，去耐心等候神？要耐心地等候神，绝不是一件容易的事。然而，且看大卫的下一句：「他垂听我的呼求」。神仿佛一听见大卫的呼求，就转脸望向他(神的眼目其实从没离开他)；得知他向自己求救之后，神便马上拯救他。情况就仿如大卫掉进泥沼之中，正往下沉之际，他急忙向神呼求。你曾否有过类似的经验呢？
就在这命在旦夕之间，神马上来到他的面前，伸出祂的手，把他从危难中救拔出来。此刻的大卫，只感觉双脚再次站在神那充满能力和慈爱的坚固磐石之上。
这种起死回生的感觉，令到大卫只想欢呼高唱。你曾经有过类似的感觉吗？当神在危难中拯救了你，你在感激之余，只想不断地高歌赞美神。请看第9节。大卫不单要高歌赞美神，他更要把神的作为告诉神的百姓，要他们跟他一起去颂赞神。
但愿我们都学像大卫一样，欢喜快乐地向人传讲神的美善，让别人能与我们一同颂赞神的恩典。
你有没有唱过这首诗歌，歌词大意是：
我们尊崇的神是何等美善，祂是信实不改变的朋友。
祂的慈爱跟祂的权能同样伟大，不可测度、永不止息。
今天就跟你的朋友分享神在你身上的作为吧！
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.