PROCLAIMING GOD’S SALVATION

I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, LORD, as you know. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly. —Psalm 40:9, 10

The book of Hebrews employed Psalm 40:6–8 to describe the sacrifice and mission of Jesus (see Hebrews 10:5–10). The writer of Hebrews asserts that those words were spoken by Jesus, explaining His sacrifice in “a body you prepared for me” (Hebrews 10:5). When read in this way, verses 9 and 10 are the psalmist’s response to humanity’s rescue through the sacrifice of Jesus. God heard his cries for help and “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” (Psalm 40:2).

The remainder of Psalm 40 is a “new song” (verse 3) celebrating God’s redemption and restoration. David urged that an important element of responding to God’s goodness and salvation is to proclaim what God has done. “I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out” (Psalm 40:9, NLT).

David suggested that God’s salvation and goodness in our lives are never only for our own benefit. When God rescues us, He is also always working in proximity to the people around us, especially if we are prepared to share that testimony and make that evidence available. Although speaking of God’s saving help might take courage, it can help and encourage others. Our lives and our stories are among the ways in which God’s love and faithfulness can be revealed, even in the great assembly. So do not be afraid to speak out and speak up for the saving work of God as you have come to know and experience it.