Text: Psalm 40
How does the Lord go about helping his people?
It has already been stated that the Lord helps his people in many ways that they don’t fully appreciate. Most importantly, the Lord helps us by bringing about our eternal salvation. We didn’t merit his favor by our good works, we didn’t deserve it because of our personal background, and we didn’t assist in bringing it about through our human efforts or individual decision.
Paul speaks directly to this truth in Romans 9:14-16 where he says, “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion’. So then it depends not upon human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
Thus, God’s saving activity is primary in the matter of salvation, and our human response is only secondary. The Lord helps us in many other ways as well. The second half of Psalm 40 enumerates these ways from David’s personal experience. Let us be thankful that the Lord is our divine helper, and let us give praise for his compassion and mercy.
[podcast]http://www.download.covenantfamilychurch.net/2008/mp3/2007_07_01_the_lord_is_our_helper.mp3[/podcast]