David begins this song by telling us of the fruits of undying patience. I termed these God gifts: helping, leading, humming, drawing. David goes on in the next 2 verses to tell of God’s wonders. We see that David is an optimist when it comes to God. Godly optimism is a great thing to learn.
4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! 5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. (Psalm 40:4-5–ESV)
Blessed, happy, is the man who makes the Lord his trust.
David is not starting a new theme from scratch in verse 4. The result of God’s doing is blessedness. Happy is the man who makes the Lord his trust. David waited patiently for the Lord and the Lord came. Once God arrived the whole tenor changed. The influence of God upon David’s life and the life of those around him was changed forever. We want things that work. Well, God “works.” God’s works are of his doing, but they are of the first rate. Nothing excels them.
David points out that other men may look around for other things to trust in. Some turn away from God and to other men (the proud). Some turn away to deceit, lies, idols as the New International Version calls them. Idols are but false gods.
David says trust and wait. There is blessedness. Don’t turn from the only hope to other men or to other sort-of deities.
Good things, praise, honor given to God.
David does not here turn to us the reader to tell us a list of things God has done in an effort to convince us to live like David lived. David, rather, turns to God who has done these things and praises him. David tells God that God’s involvement has been a multiplication of good deeds, excellent things and help.
David, having seen and known an abundance of good deeds knows there are more to come. The will and mind of God can never be fully known. No one can tell God of what his plans for Israel were. This, too, is a trust statement. Good things having come must mean that this faucet will not run dry. What God has done he will do. His character is benevolent for me and you. Past performance predicts future results when it comes to God. The ways and means of the good will not be foretold, but the style and character is and can be.
What about us?
Where have you and I turned? What have you and I made our trust? Have we turned to our money, our job, our family, our things? Do we place our trust in a political party? Do we put our trust in a pastor? What about an election? What if you are in Britain and have just seen the “brexit” vote to leave the European Union? Were you trusting in the EU and now are worried? Or, are you trusting in the sovereignty of Britain and now are hopeful? None of these are sufficient forever. None of these will be true in an everlasting way. None of these will give that current of happiness that does not run dry.
Have you thought of the good things God has done for you? Do you recognize the good in your life as a thing from God? Have you learned the arithmetic of God which is about multiplication not just addition? God multiplies good things not just adds good things.
Have you gone the next step and made optimism toward God your outlook? A pessimist toward God may grudgingly admit a good thing here or there, but expect a bad thing next. Well, fresh and salt water don’t flow from the same spring. Blessing and curses do not come from the same God. Humanity may treat us in this manner as James writes in his New Testament letter, but God does not.
What’s in God’s faucet? (good things)
We need to move away from the “Yes, but…” lifestyle to a “Yes, and…” lifestyle. We need to stop wringing our mental hands saying, “Yes, but will it stay ok? Will life stay good? Will the good things run out?” We need to fold our mental hands, think of the good things we have, give credit to God for them, and then say, “Yes, God has done so many excellent things, and he does them because he is good. He plans good things for us. He has not changed. He will continue to do those things he knows are for our good.” That is godly optimism. If that is not natural for you don’t be surprised. I am not a godly optimist, but passages like this God uses to help me see that it is a reasonable and important pattern of thought. He can help me assimilate this into my consciousness and unconsciousness. He can do the same for you.
Christy says
This message uplifted me. May the Lord Jesus use you more and more. I’m blessed ,glory to God.
Lane Ulrich says
I am glad that it fit into your life. Thanks for the comment and I trust the Lord to keep up the good work he is splashing about your world.