DC Devotion: Psalm 40

 BY RACHEL POTTS, HALL COORDINATOR AT ANDERSON UNIVERSITY

The world is made up of all types of cycles, right? Seasons, water, the hair on our heads, they all have cycles!

Turns out, we have cycles in our spiritual lives, too. There are times when we have felt on fire for the Lord, and we are praising and rejoicing, and nothing can stop us! But then, there are times when we feel distant from God, and we get confused and frustrated because we don’t even know what went wrong sometimes.

In Psalm 40, the author starts by saying, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry,” and then starts praising and rejoicing and glorifying the Lord for this! He is remembering all of the good things the Lord has ever done, and he is on fire and ready to tell the world about it! But then, in the very last verse, he says, “But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.” Their faith is cycling through the high and the low moments, just like ours does all the time. 

So no matter where you are today, whether you are waiting for the Lord, you are on fire for God, or even if you are feeling guilty and frustrated that you aren’t where you were with God two months ago, please don’t fret. This is a natural part of having faith. The point is that you have faith at all. Verse 9 says, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” So keep moving forward, and with faith, you will always find yourself growing closer to the Lord, even after the driest of spiritual seasons. 

Anderson University educates students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized for excellence in business, computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, music, nursing, psychology, and teacher education programs. Established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God, the university remains committed to its Christ-centered mission.