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About this post: We want to stay connected! This blog post is part of a series of daily devotionals for this season. Read them, share them, and pray that they bring God's peace and love to our communities. To sign up to receive text notification of these posts, text ZPCDevo to 317.768.0600. We welcome your comments and questions each day. 

About the author: Cynthia and Brian McCall are members of ZPC. They have been involved in various ministries over the years. Cynthia is currently in her second semester of study for the Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. She is interning at ZPC as the Adult Ministries Assistant to Pastor Scott Shelton. Cynthia and Brian have four adult children, two daughters-in-love, and just became grandparents to Maxwell Alexander McCall, born April 13. Praise God! 

Today's Scripture: Psalm 40

¹I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.
Psalm 40:1-3

For 20+ years I have been on an emotional healing journey. I was in a slimy pit dealing with some things in my past. I have cried out to God many times. God has heard my cry! Over the years, through help from my husband Brian, a few good Christian counselors, and friends trained in restoration prayer, he indeed lifted me out of the mud and mire! Alleluia! He set my feet on the rock of his love. It is indeed a firm place to stand. Praise God!

Psalm 40:3 has always spoken to my heart. Music has been a big part of my life. I have always looked at that verse fairly literally. The Lord has blessed me with the gift of singing. He has rescued me, and I sing praises to him for who he is and what he has done. I’ve been blessed to have opportunity to sing up-front; to glorify my Lord with the gift he has given me.

However, since last August, singing has changed. He has called me out of singing up-front for a time. I don’t know how long that time will be. He has me focused on a seminary journey. Most days I’m reading and writing. Singing has become a quieter form of worship. The hymn of praise comes quietly within. It’s to God only. No one else hears the song. No one else needs to. Not right now. What he is doing in this time is growing me, healing me from the hurts that still need healing, shaping me to be who he has created me to be for his purposes. This change in the music hasn’t always been easy. I miss being in the choir and on the worship team at church. I’ve struggled. I’ve pouted. I’ve whined. I’ve sinned. I’ve cried out. And, he still loves me and gives me a firm place to stand on his rock of love.

This very unusual, Covid-19 season may have some of us in an unexpected slimy pit. Some may feel like they are stuck in the mud and mire, whether spiritually, emotionally, physically, and/or financially. This season is bringing out some things about ourselves that we may not like. This is the time to wait patiently for the Lord to hear our cry. Notice that waiting patiently doesn’t mean you are not crying. Waiting patiently means trusting that even if things don’t seem right, even if we are crying out in anguish, he hears us and will act on our behalf, in his time. Your song just might be in the crying. We trust that, at some point, he WILL lift us out of the slimy pit. And when he does, our song becomes a “Thank You” to him for our rescue. Eventually, we are given opportunity to let others know about what God has done in our lives. That is when we “sing” a new hymn of praise to our God so that many will put their trust in him. That song may not have a musical melody. It will be our words as we speak to a friend, or in a Facebook post, or some other way, but the “melody” rings out from our heart and people notice and praise the Lord.

Whatever your song sounds like right now, “sing” it out to the Lord. You can do this through a prayer, or maybe writing in a journal. If you are comfortable, find a quiet spot and actually sing it to him. It doesn’t have to be pretty. He doesn’t care. He just wants to hear your heart. You can also sing along with a favorite worship hymn. I am attaching a link to a song that has been speaking to my heart for a while now. However you feel led to worship him, just do it from your heart. He hears you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FymxITRBBr4

Prayer:

Dear Merciful Father,
Some of us find ourselves in some sort of slimy pit. Forgive us for our sins, if that is how we got there. Help us forgive those who might have thrown us in. Lord, help us look to you if our unexpected circumstances have us stuck in the mire. Lord, hear our cry for help. Give us courage to wait patiently for your timing. And Lord, give us the courage and opportunity to “sing” out the new song you give us as we wait and when you lift us to that rock. Let many hear and adore you and put their trust in you! Alleluia!
Amen!

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