Psalms 40:13-17

“Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me”

Psalms 40:13, “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.” What pleases God? It pleases God when men repent of their sins to Christ. It pleases God when men listen to the Word of God. It pleases God when men live by faith in the promises of God. How easy it is to please God. 1 John 1:9 says, “if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” To do what is right sometimes is very hard because we are all such sinful men. However to please God is so easy because all it takes is repentance of sin and faith in the name of Jesus.

When men hear the word pleasure what usually comes to mind is physical pleasures. But what you should think about is repentance of sin unto Christ. How much Christ suffered on the cross for the sins of the world. In talking about pleasure; it pleases God, it gives God pleasure to deliver lost men from the darkness and lies of this world and into the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 says, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord: and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Psalms 40:14-15 says, “let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.” Life is a spiritual warfare. Sometimes the spiritual warfare can be very intense. Jesus said in II Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” We live in the last days. Every Christian gets a Cross. It may be a cross of secrecy. It may be a Cross of Shame. It may be a cross of physical suffering. It may even be the cross of martyrdom. Regardless of what kind of persecution you suffer what you should remember is no matter what you suffer, or no matter how you fail, those that oppose the truth of the Word of God cannot destroy your soul because you have forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ.

Psalms 40:14-15, “let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.” This is the reason that those who oppose the truth, do what they do in their false teachings, and in their tempting of men to sin, and in their attempts to stop Christians from following God’s Will by persecuting them. But they cannot destroy the soul. They can destroy the body. But they cannot destroy the soul.

Notice the phrase “desolate for a reward.” Other than spending eternity in hell there is nothing worse that can happen to a human being than that they become “desolate for a reward.” This life is temporary. Man at his best state is vanity. It is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment. God is a giver. And God gives great opportunity unto men to serve him. How great are the rewards for those that live for Christ. If you do not want your life to be “desolate for a reward.” Then do your part to help in the spread of the Word of God. God’s Word never goes out void. So be led of the Spirit and every time you do something to help teach the word of God, or support those that teach the word of God so that they might continue to teach the Word of God you are earning great rewards in eternity.

Christ died on the old rugged cross, the cursed tree, so that men might become a tree which bears fruit. The work of God centers around the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Words of God. John 3:34 says, “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”

Psalms 40:13, “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.” God is not a time waster. God’s timing is perfect. God is doing a mighty work in this world. This work is in the hearts of men through the word of God to lead them to repent of their sins and turn to Christ for salvation.

For those that oppose the Bible and persecute Christians, the end result of them will be that they shall be, “desolate for a reward.” If only men could be freed from the spiritual darkness that they are in and see how much is pleases God to deliver men from their sins and to give them eternal life. Deliverance is the great theme of the Bible. It is the story of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for the sins of the world.

Psalms 40:16-17 says, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the LORD thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.” Draw night to God and he will draw nigh to you. Seek and ye shall find. Those that seek the truth find it. Those that ask Christ for forgiveness of their sins always receive forgiveness. God does not withhold his tender mercies from those that pray to him for them. God’s truth continually preserves a Christian.

In these last verses of Psalms 40 notice the phrase, “such as love thy salvation.” It pleases God to deliver His children when they need deliverance. It pleases God to deliver the lost of this world when they repent of their sins to Christ. If you love God then you will love the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In these last verses of Psalms 40 the word deliverance is mentioned 3 times. This is what spiritual warfare is all about: the souls of men. Let those that love God’s salvation know that is pleases God to deliver men from their sins. How easy it is to please God; simply live by faith in the promises of God. The story of deliverance is the story of redemption. To be redeemed means to be bought out of the market place of sin. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” God never runs out of grace for those that pray to Him for His tender mercies. We live in the last days. The sins of men are only increasing in number. The opportunity to repent of sins and receive the grace of God is limited however. It is appointed unto man once to die but after this the judgment.

There is great shame associated with sin. This is why many do not face the truth of their own sins. There is great opposition against the Bible. There is much to suffer if you turn to Jesus. If only men would think about how much it pleases God to deliver men from their sins when they turn to them then perhaps men would not turn away from the truth despite persecution. Ephesians 1:7-9 says, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.”

According to His good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. Psalms 40:17 says, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.” I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me. What do you think upon? God thinks upon me. And it pleases God to deliver me. God thinks upon those that look to him for forgiveness of sin and for deliverance for both their physical and spiritual needs. If you have never turned from your sins to Jesus then do so today. Today is the day of salvation.

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