On Psalm 40

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: 5)

 

As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain

your mercy from me; 

your steadfast love and your faithfulness will

ever preserve me! (Psalm 40:11)

 

I meditate on the Psalms because they are real prayers of real people. They don't hide anything. They instead expose the realities of the human heart, including mine.

David wrote Psalm 40 where he "looks both backward and forward as he considers his need for God," according to Dane Ortlund. Birthdays, or any milestone in one's life that's worth remembering, offer someone a space for instrospection. What has one done with one's life? And what does the future hold?

My friend Hazel reminded me this year would be our last as thirty-something-year olds. I celebrated my birthday a few days ago. I chose a quiet celebration -- meaning, no grand celebration, save for a coffee chat with high school friends the day after. 

David's Psalm resonate with me deeply. My life is peppered with the grace of God multiplied many times over. His mercies towards my sinfulness and shortcomings are not restrained; they overflow.  What a real blessing to be alive in and for Him.