A Direct Line

He drew me up ...set my feet upon a rock

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

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.

—Psalm 40:1-3

Psalm 40 is one of the most beautiful and meaningful psalms, but I don't think I'd ever given much thought to some of the connections it makes. Just looking at the first three verses, I can draw a direct line between my hopeful waiting (see Friday's devotion) and somebody else's trust. Once again, we see how waiting is active: its impact is not only on the one who waits, but on those whom they later encounter.

I hope that this will help remind me in the future that the example I set for others is not just in the things I do, but even in the whether or not I view waiting as a blessing or a burden.

One of the ways I can transform my view of biblical waiting is through singing. I love to sing the psalms, and apparently Bono does too. Here he is singing 40:

Our tears have turned the earth into a swamp, Lord. And though my feet may be stuck in the mire, yet I will wait for you to draw me out. Then grant me a voice—a voice to sing your praise, so that others will see that it is you who saves. In my helplessness you empower me to help others. Thank you, God, in the Name of the One who taught me to pray: Our Father...