May 5, 2019

Testimony of God's Deliverance

Written by:
Rev (Dr) Prabhudas Koshy

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings" (Psalm 40:1-2).

What an inspiring testimony David bears here! He tells us how he handled his dilemma. He responded to his peculiar trouble by waiting patiently for the LORD.
He was in a very distressing situation. He described his situation in verse 2 as "an horrible pit of miry clay". It was a picture of helplessness and despondence that David painted with those words. He was sunken in deep and dark depression. No one could deliver him, not even he himself.

But he knew that there is help with the LORD. So he cast himself and his situation completely upon the LORD as the only possible way out. He cried out to Him in prayer. It is all that he could do, and he did it with utmost earnestness and eagerness.

When David "waited patiently for the LORD", he was not passively sitting down and muttering fatalistically, "Oh, the LORD has deserted me. There is no one to deliver me." Instead, his patient waiting for the LORD consisted of crying to the LORD. Prayer is the channel that God has ordained for His afflicted people to receive His deliverance and help in times of distressing situations.

David had always been a man of action, especially in the midst of adversities. He was not one who feared adversity. In his youthful days, he had bravely acted to deliver lambs from the mouth of a lion and of a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-36). Who does not know of David’s exploits such as his victory over Goliath, who had struck paralysing fear into the army of Israel (1 Samuel 17:39-51)? However, in this particular situation, he who had previously overcome many an adversity found himself buried under insurmountable problems.

Still, David believed that the LORD would deliver him. So he prayed unto the LORD as he waited patiently for His deliverance. He waited on the LORD patiently because He had confidence in the LORD. Great heroes of faith are men who, amidst their troubles, wait with unwavering faith and hope in the LORD. They wait on the LORD even when there is no man to help. They never quit their faith and duty while in trouble, but remain steadfast in faith.

In the next verse, David gratefully says, "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Are you mindful to remember and praise God for the deliverance He has given to you in your life? What has the LORD done for you? Recount the recent deliverance that God has granted you in answer to your prayers. Mention them before the LORD and praise Him for those answered prayers.

When one makes it a habit to recollect the goodness of the LORD that one has received, one’s deep affection for the LORD will also grow. On the contrary, when the LORD’s goodness is disregarded, one’s devotion and spiritual enthusiasm will also be adversely affected. This is especially so when one is going through sore distress.
In our text, God’s delivering grace is gratefully reminisced in the most apt and beautiful emblematic language. The psalmist says that the Lord has lifted him up out of a "horrible pit" into which he has fallen, and has set him upon a "rock"! What a vivid and moving depictions of God’s deliverance! How would you describe God’s deliverance in your life?

The psalmist’s description here sets forth the phenomenal change that the Lord has granted him in response to his penitent prayers. He was being weighed down by his sins and their consequences. This, he alluded to in verse 12: "For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me." So he cried unto God, saying, "Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me" (v. 13). Also in the midst of this psalm, with eyes of faith, he spoke prophetically concerning Christ the Saviour (vv. 7-10). The New Testament cited these words as a predictive reference to Christ’s obedience to the Father in becoming a sacrifice for our sins (cf. Hebrews 10:5-10). The repentant sinner is thus made to stand firmly on the Rock of Ages, even our Lord Jesus! If you are sinking in your sin, cry out to Christ at once with absolute faith; He will surely deliver and sanctify you by His blood.


A Thanksgiving Testimony in the Offering Bag

Dear Pastor Koshy,

We thank God for another opportunity to give to our church building project. God has given us a church with a faithful pastor, faithful elders and fellow brethren. We as a family are greatly blessed by the many fellowship meetings and spiritual feedings. God does not need us to provide for His needs, or to help Him in any way, as He is all-sufficient and needs nothing at all; the whole world is His and the fullness thereof (Psalm 50:12). Yet, it is our great joy that our God has enabled us to give to this important project of our church (cf. 1 Chronicles 29:9). Our Lord deserves our very best, and it is our privilege to be able to offer to God, who is the great Creator and the Lord of the universe. We continue to pray to our Father in heaven for the building project, that the remaining funds will be collected as soon as possible. We also pray that God will give wisdom to our leaders so that all the remaining works will be completed in time, and this new facility (together with its resources) will be a great blessing to the generations to come.

Praise ye the Lord—Hallelujah!

A Gethsemane family
27th April 2019

Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church adheres to the system of faith commonly known as the “Reformed Faith” as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
Our Worship Address
SingPost Centre
Level 5 Auditorium
10 Eunos Road 8, Singapore 408600
(next to Paya Lebar MRT station)
Our mailing address
Gethsemane Media Centre
33 Ubi Crescent
Singapore 408584
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