Psalms 40

It’s a marvelous thing to see David refer to the “righteousness in his heart” and confess to be caught in an innumerable multitude of sins in the same Psalm.

Psalms 40:10,12 “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation… For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

To the opposite of one might think, this isn’t a contradiction. Notice he doesn’t call it his righteousness, but rather the LORD’s. If righteousness resides in your heart today, be sure it is not imitation of your own. Just like the salvation, lovingkindess, and truth all belong to God, so does true righteousness. Self-righteousness is not true righteousness. It’s a deadly mistake to make and ones the Pharisees made loving the outward sacrifices rather than loving the mercy of God.

Notice the outcome of what happens when His righteous confronts the wickedness of our heart:

“Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.” v.13

God’s righteous in our heart will shine the light on what is sin in our heart. It will prompt a repentant believer to their knees asking for deliverance. Instead of patching up or trying to hide his sins, David openly confesses them and ask humbles himself before the Lord, praying for deliverance. The more David knew Hod’s righteousness in his heart, the more sin it uncovered.

Now here is a thing: the more we mature in the Lord, the more sinful things appear. And Lord help us, as the sin is exposed it would cause believers to pray more knowing the dangers lurking in the crevices of our hearts.

The Lord promises salvation to those who come on their knees to Christ. So “let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, the LORD be magnified.”v.16

We are “poor and needy: yet the Lord thinketh upon me”v.17 and “many.. thy thoughts are to us-ward”v.5

What a Savior!