WEBVTT 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:06.660 a man after God's own heart. It's the LifeSpring One Year Bible Rewind. Coming to you from 00:00:06.840 --> 00:00:13.440 Riverside, California, this is Steve Webb, your OG podcaster. I've been podcasting since 2004. 00:00:14.140 --> 00:00:19.440 This is the podcast that comes to you every single day, and we're reading the whole Bible together in 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:25.380 a year. I'm so glad you're here, and I welcome you. The website is lifespringmedia.com. 00:00:25.880 --> 00:00:31.360 This is Psalms Wednesday. We'll read Psalms 39 through 41. I'll have a brief introduction before 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:36.240 reading each Psalm, then a few comments after the reading, and I have a shortage of time today, 00:00:36.460 --> 00:00:41.800 so we won't do an on this date in church history, but we will have a time of prayer. Let's begin. 00:00:42.580 --> 00:00:48.320 Our Heavenly Father, we love you, and we thank you so much for your faithful and enduring love. 00:00:48.760 --> 00:00:53.500 We pray, God, that as we read today, you would teach us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:56.860 --> 00:01:02.680 The title of Psalm 39 is To the Chief Musician, To Juduthan, a Psalm of David. 00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:09.100 It's thought by some that the chief musician is God. Others believe that it could be a leader of 00:01:09.320 --> 00:01:14.480 choirs when David wrote this. Perhaps Heman, the singer, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6.33, 00:01:15.160 --> 00:01:21.379 or Asaph, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 16.5-7. Juduthan was one of the musicians appointed 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:28.060 by David to lead the public worship of Israel. We read his name in 1 Chronicles 16.41 and 1 Chronicles 00:01:28.220 --> 00:01:34.700 25.1-3. This psalm, as the title makes clear, was written by King David, but we don't know at what 00:01:34.860 --> 00:01:44.579 point in his life. Psalms 39. I said I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue. I will restrain 00:01:44.580 --> 00:01:51.220 my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me. I was mute with silence, I held my peace even 00:01:51.440 --> 00:01:57.740 from good, and my sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:04.940 burned. Then I spoke with my tongue, Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, 00:02:05.220 --> 00:02:12.459 that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, you have made my days as handbreadths, and my ages as 00:02:12.480 --> 00:02:19.560 nothing before you. Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Surely every man walks 00:02:19.740 --> 00:02:26.260 about like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up riches and does not know who 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:33.540 will gather them. And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:40.340 transgressions. Do not make me the reproach of the foolish. I was mute. I did not open my mouth, 00:02:40.480 --> 00:02:46.580 because it was you who did it. Remove your plague from me. I am consumed by the blow of your hand. 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:52.760 When with rebukes you correct man for iniquity, you make his beauty melt away like a moth. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:03:00.200 Surely every man is vapor. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry. Do not be silent 00:03:00.250 --> 00:03:07.639 at my tears, for I am a stranger with you, a sojourner, as all my fathers were. Remove your 00:03:07.660 --> 00:03:12.460 gaze from me, that I may regain strength before I go away and am no more. 00:03:14.460 --> 00:03:20.260 The title of Psalm 40 is, To the Chief Musician, a Psalm of David. Again, we don't know for sure 00:03:20.480 --> 00:03:25.540 when David wrote this, but G. Campbell Morgan guessed that, in this case, the reason for the 00:03:25.720 --> 00:03:30.400 song, in all probability, was that of the deliverance of David from all the long experience 00:03:30.590 --> 00:03:34.960 of outlawry and suffering, and the fact that he had been brought to his coronation. 00:03:36.600 --> 00:03:42.840 Psalms chapter 40. I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined to me and heard my cry. 00:03:43.920 --> 00:03:49.560 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, 00:03:49.920 --> 00:03:55.840 making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. 00:03:56.440 --> 00:04:02.279 Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:09.220 his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie. You have multiplied, 00:04:09.380 --> 00:04:15.020 O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us. None can compare with you. 00:04:15.460 --> 00:04:21.540 I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. In sacrifice and offering 00:04:21.760 --> 00:04:28.079 you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have 00:04:28.100 --> 00:04:33.940 not required. Then I said, Behold, I have come. In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 00:04:34.530 --> 00:04:42.100 I delight to do your will, O my God. Your law is within my heart. I have told the glad news of 00:04:42.180 --> 00:04:48.180 deliverance in the great congregation. Behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. 00:04:48.860 --> 00:04:53.679 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart. I have spoken of your faithfulness and 00:04:53.700 --> 00:04:59.320 your salvation. I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great 00:04:59.640 --> 00:05:06.240 congregation. As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me. Your steadfast love 00:05:06.280 --> 00:05:11.360 and your faithfulness will ever preserve me, for evils have encompassed me beyond number. 00:05:12.220 --> 00:05:17.480 My iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head. 00:05:17.900 --> 00:05:25.000 my heart fails me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me. 00:05:25.860 --> 00:05:30.680 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life. 00:05:31.140 --> 00:05:34.980 Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt. 00:05:35.740 --> 00:05:42.679 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, Aha! Aha! But may all who seek you 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:47.840 rejoice and be glad in you. May those who love your salvation say continually, 00:05:48.540 --> 00:05:54.640 Great is the Lord. As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:59.120 You are my help and my deliverer. Do not delay, O my God. 00:06:01.840 --> 00:06:05.820 The title of Psalm 41 is, To the Chief Musician, a Psalm of David. 00:06:06.610 --> 00:06:12.660 Of this psalm, Alexander McLaren wrote, The central mass of this psalm describes the singer 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:16.560 suffering from two evils, sickness and treacherous friends. 00:06:18.340 --> 00:06:19.500 Psalms chapter 41 00:06:20.760 --> 00:06:22.820 Happy are those who think about the poor. 00:06:23.580 --> 00:06:25.600 When trouble comes, the Lord will save them. 00:06:26.400 --> 00:06:30.280 The Lord will protect them and spare their life and will bless them in the land. 00:06:31.300 --> 00:06:32.940 He will not let their enemies take them. 00:06:33.900 --> 00:06:37.960 The Lord will give them strength when they are sick, and He will make them well again. 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:41.120 I said, Lord, have mercy on me. 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:43.700 Heal me, because I have sinned against you. 00:06:44.500 --> 00:06:46.780 My enemies are saying evil things about me. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:49.720 They say, when will he die and be forgotten? 00:06:50.860 --> 00:06:53.240 Some people come to see me, but they lie. 00:06:53.780 --> 00:06:55.420 They just come to get bad news. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:57.180 Then they go and gossip. 00:06:58.200 --> 00:07:01.340 All my enemies whisper about me and think the worst about me. 00:07:01.860 --> 00:07:04.000 They say, he has a terrible disease. 00:07:04.670 --> 00:07:06.200 He will never get out of bed again. 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:11.780 My best and truest friend, who ate at my table, has even turned against me. 00:07:12.700 --> 00:07:13.780 Lord, have mercy on me. 00:07:14.430 --> 00:07:16.540 Give me strength so I can pay them back. 00:07:17.140 --> 00:07:20.800 Because my enemies do not defeat me, I know you are pleased with me. 00:07:21.520 --> 00:07:25.600 Because I am innocent, you support me and will let me be with you forever. 00:07:26.500 --> 00:07:28.360 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 00:07:28.940 --> 00:07:31.420 He has always been and he will always be. 00:07:32.130 --> 00:07:33.100 Amen and Amen. 00:07:35.880 --> 00:07:38.640 Well, beloved, I have a few comments on each one of the Psalms. 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:45.200 In Psalm 39, verse 7 says, And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. 00:07:46.520 --> 00:07:50.700 When, like David, we understand the frailty and how fleeting is our life, 00:07:51.080 --> 00:07:55.940 where else can we put our hope but in the eternal God? How foolish we would be but then 00:07:56.060 --> 00:08:02.940 to place ourselves in His strong, loving, merciful care. In chapter 40, verses 7 and 8, David said, 00:08:03.540 --> 00:08:08.060 Then I said, Behold, I have come. In the scroll of the book it is written of me, 00:08:08.460 --> 00:08:12.540 I delight to do your will, O my God. Your law is within my heart. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.980 O beloved, may this be written of you in his book. 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:22.440 And then in verse 16, David said, But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. 00:08:23.080 --> 00:08:27.160 May those who love your salvation say continually, Great is the Lord. 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:31.680 Beloved, when we consider the great works of God, especially how he saved us, 00:08:32.140 --> 00:08:35.960 How can we not proclaim again and again, Great is the Lord? 00:08:36.659 --> 00:08:43.680 In the 41st Psalm, David moves from writing about the blessings that will come to the person who is mindful of the poor and weak, 00:08:44.219 --> 00:08:50.100 to asking God for mercy when he has sinned, deliverance from those who tell lies about him and wish him dead, 00:08:50.660 --> 00:08:53.840 the anguish he feels because of the betrayal of those he trusted, 00:08:54.460 --> 00:08:59.620 and then another plea for God's mercy and finally an offering of praise to the God of Israel. 00:09:00.560 --> 00:09:02.620 David poured out his heart in this psalm, didn't he? 00:09:03.140 --> 00:09:06.800 This seems to be a time when he was very sick, physically and spiritually. 00:09:07.060 --> 00:09:07.860 He said to the Lord, 00:09:08.520 --> 00:09:10.740 Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you. 00:09:11.680 --> 00:09:14.720 Sin, beloved, is not just something that sits in solitude. 00:09:15.560 --> 00:09:20.960 It isn't just a vague idea or a nebulous general breaking of a meaningless random rule. 00:09:21.720 --> 00:09:24.280 It's an act of rebellion against the God of the universe. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:27.300 David realized that, and because of his sin, 00:09:27.700 --> 00:09:30.780 He knew that his soul needed the healing touch of a merciful God. 00:09:31.700 --> 00:09:35.360 David lived about a thousand years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:39.080 yet he believed that God would forgive the repentant heart. 00:09:39.660 --> 00:09:43.480 He made no excuses, no defense, no flowery language, 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.920 just a simple, truthful admission of guilt before a holy God. 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:52.420 I think this is one reason that he is called a man after God's own heart. 00:09:53.300 --> 00:09:58.860 The last verse, the offering of praise, is thought of by many scholars to be not only the end of this 00:09:59.180 --> 00:10:05.000 psalm, but the end of the first book of psalms. Yes, psalms actually contains five books. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:14.060 The first book ends here with chapter 41. Book 2 is psalms 42-72. Book 3 is psalms 73-89. 00:10:14.880 --> 00:10:20.900 Book 4 is psalms 90-106. Book 5 is psalms 107-150. 00:10:21.900 --> 00:10:23.800 Bible commentator Derek Kidner wrote, 00:10:24.300 --> 00:10:26.980 Each of the five books ends with an outburst of praise, 00:10:27.560 --> 00:10:32.180 clinched by a double Amen, here in Psalm 41 and at the end of 72. 00:10:33.160 --> 00:10:36.100 An Amen and Hallelujah at the end of Psalm 106 00:10:36.120 --> 00:10:40.140 are finally what is virtually a double Hallelujah at the end of Psalm 150, 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:42.900 indeed a whole psalm of doxology. 00:10:43.980 --> 00:10:45.780 And, beloved, when David wrote the phrase, 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:47.340 from everlasting to everlasting, 00:10:47.920 --> 00:10:51.180 he was referring to eternity past to eternity future, 00:10:51.700 --> 00:10:57.560 Or in the words of Jesus, I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning 00:10:57.740 --> 00:10:58.480 and the end. 00:10:59.060 --> 00:11:03.220 Jesus was saying that He always existed and always will exist. 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:06.940 Beloved, what a mighty God we serve. 00:11:07.380 --> 00:11:08.820 Amen and amen indeed. 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:10.480 What are your thoughts? 00:11:11.040 --> 00:11:14.040 Our reading tomorrow will be Job 27 and 28. 00:11:14.900 --> 00:11:17.180 Here's the verse of the day. 00:11:20.220 --> 00:11:21.460 Psalm 40, verse 4. 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:28.480 How happy is the man who has put his trust in the Lord and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:30.420 Psalm 40, verse 4. 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:36.720 Today we're going to go straight to the prayer requests. 00:11:37.980 --> 00:11:40.900 John sent in a prayer request with some praises mixed in. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.620 He said, and I'm condensing it because it was a very long one. 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:47.540 He said, please pray for my family. 00:11:47.660 --> 00:11:48.860 We're still very broken. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.500 My daughters, 19 and 17, won't speak to me and are pushing me away. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:56.820 I'm not sure how to fix it, but I know God can. 00:11:57.300 --> 00:12:03.200 I am seeing Him work in my sons, 14 and 12, and I'm so grateful for our weekend time together. 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:05.880 Regarding my personal walk, he continues, 00:12:06.460 --> 00:12:11.400 God overcame pornography in my life a year ago, but I still struggle with lustful thoughts. 00:12:12.060 --> 00:12:16.720 Please pray for total surrender and that I wouldn't fall into despair or discouragement, 00:12:17.160 --> 00:12:23.280 trusting that He is working even when I can't see it. And he says, I also need prayer for my work. 00:12:23.680 --> 00:12:27.900 There is so much change, and I often feel inadequate in this new role, especially 00:12:28.400 --> 00:12:33.860 with the weight of my personal life. Despite the struggle, God is abundantly good. I'm so 00:12:34.100 --> 00:12:39.000 thankful for His faithfulness, my home, my church community, and the supports He has provided. 00:12:39.560 --> 00:12:44.920 It's amazing how He is working through it all. Well, John, you are in the midst of so many trials, 00:12:45.060 --> 00:12:49.880 my brother. But you have made it through a year. And from our earlier conversations, I know that 00:12:49.880 --> 00:12:56.300 by God's grace, you have made tremendous progress. So praise the Lord and hang in there. And Joy 00:12:56.460 --> 00:13:01.220 Kurtz called the LifeSpring family hotline this past Monday. You probably remember that she was 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:08.379 in an automobile accident some time ago and suffered some kind of brain injury. Here's Joy's 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:09.060 voicemail. 00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:11.460 How do you see 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:13.520 this is Joy 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:15.860 and I have 00:13:15.870 --> 00:13:16.700 a request. 00:13:17.510 --> 00:13:18.180 Yes, thank you. 00:13:18.260 --> 00:13:20.960 I ask that we pray 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:21.660 for 00:13:22.420 --> 00:13:24.020 lovely hands 00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:25.540 I say 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:27.440 and 00:13:28.020 --> 00:13:30.560 our needs I say 00:13:31.020 --> 00:13:31.620 also. 00:13:32.020 --> 00:13:32.620 And you do too. 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:33.680 Thank you, Steve. 00:13:33.950 --> 00:13:34.360 Thank you. 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:36.860 And have a glorious day. 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:38.080 Bye-bye. 00:13:38.260 --> 00:13:38.800 Bye-bye, Joy. 00:13:39.030 --> 00:13:40.260 You have a glorious day, too. 00:13:40.410 --> 00:13:41.180 Thank you so much. 00:13:42.500 --> 00:13:45.720 Very sweet that you would ask us to pray for Leanne's eyesight. 00:13:46.340 --> 00:13:50.460 And I did not know that you needed eyesight healing as well. 00:13:51.800 --> 00:13:55.180 Leanne did say to tell you thank you so much for your prayers. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:57.400 And, of course, we'll pray for your eyesight. 00:13:58.700 --> 00:14:00.900 And then this afternoon she sent in this email. 00:14:02.620 --> 00:14:05.500 I think Christians should pray about the upcoming elections. 00:14:06.060 --> 00:14:08.380 Our country and local governments need help. 00:14:09.100 --> 00:14:12.040 We need grasswork leadership like we had with Charlie Kirk. 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:13.200 God bless his soul. 00:14:13.540 --> 00:14:13.700 Yes. 00:14:14.620 --> 00:14:17.180 And God bless you and lovely Lady Leanne. 00:14:17.700 --> 00:14:22.180 Oh, my mom just told me that she now can see some light shine in her eyes in the morning. 00:14:23.420 --> 00:14:23.600 Wow. 00:14:23.780 --> 00:14:25.840 So both Joy and her mom have vision problems. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.680 Well, praise the Lord that her mom is beginning to see some light. 00:14:29.500 --> 00:14:34.920 Thank you, Joy, for the voicemail and for the email you sent. 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:37.900 God bless you, my sister. Let's pray. 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:10.180 for the progress with his sons, and we pray, God, that you would continue that good work. 00:15:10.980 --> 00:15:15.980 We thank you for the victory he's already won over pornography, and in moments of temptation 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:22.060 and discouragement, please, Lord, remind him that he is a new creation, and give him the strength 00:15:22.280 --> 00:15:27.780 to surrender daily to your purity. We pray that you would grant him peace and clarity at work, 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:33.739 and when he feels inadequate, remind him that your grace is sufficient and that you have placed him 00:15:33.760 --> 00:15:39.840 there for a purpose. Thank you for being a provider and for the community that surrounds him. We trust 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:45.760 that you're working in the silence. And now, Lord, we thank you for Joy, and we ask you once again 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:52.320 for healing for her brain and her eyesight as well as for her mom's. Joy loves you, and we pray that 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:57.700 you would just surround her with your comfort and peace, and may her friends be an encouragement to 00:15:57.700 --> 00:16:02.939 her as well. We just lift up our sister to you now and leave her in your hands, knowing that there is 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:08.560 not a better place that she can be. And yes, we do pray once again for Leanne that the glaucoma 00:16:08.660 --> 00:16:14.060 would be stopped in its tracks and that she would not lose any more eyesight. The pressure in her 00:16:14.140 --> 00:16:17.960 eyes is less than it was, according to the doctor, so we praise you for that. Thank you. 00:16:18.940 --> 00:16:23.980 And Father, I thank you for the Lifespring family, Lord. I pray for them today that you would give 00:16:24.100 --> 00:16:28.140 them opportunities to praise you and to share your saving message with someone around them. 00:16:28.680 --> 00:16:30.040 I pray this in Jesus' name. 00:16:31.040 --> 00:16:31.260 Amen. 00:16:31.940 --> 00:16:35.780 Beloved, when you send in your prayer requests, I'll pray for you in my daily prayer time, 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.120 and I'll pray for you just like I did here for these others on the show, 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:42.980 so we can all agree together as we take our requests to God. 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:55.220 Well, beloved, in our frailty and in our triumphs, 00:16:55.400 --> 00:16:59.060 Let us delight to do His will and keep His law within our hearts. 00:16:59.800 --> 00:17:10.079 Until tomorrow, keep seeking Him and continually proclaim that great is the Lord. 00:17:10.860 --> 00:17:12.339 And now may God bless you richly. 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:14.060 Thank you so much for being here. 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:15.240 I'm Steve Webb. 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:16.000 Bye. 00:17:17.939 --> 00:17:23.780 All the programs in the Lifespring Media family are made possible by your value for value support. 00:17:24.380 --> 00:17:24.860 Thank you. 00:17:26.419 --> 00:17:28.960 The Lifespring One Year Bible Rewind 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:30.540 is a Lifespring Media production 00:17:30.830 --> 00:17:32.020 hosted by Steve Webb, 00:17:32.030 --> 00:17:34.400 the OG Godcaster since 2004. 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:34.600 4.