Psalm 40

A 30-day Devotional on Despair, Deliverance, and the Joy of Singing a New Song

By: Kyle Burkholder

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

As was the case for millions of other people, I first stumbled over Psalm 40 thanks to U2, the legendary rock and roll band. As the closing track on U2’s 1983 album entitled War, “40” capped a work marked by loss and lament with a hopeful note of longing. And while “40” may have closed an album (and many incredible concerts after that), the song was actually a profound opening as well. For so many, “40” was an invitation to the Christian Scriptures, a reintroduction to what were previously seen as the antiquated and staid pages of the Bible. With U2 providing a new melody by which to read them, suddenly the psalms were rippling with the very elements of life, coursing with an existential pulse that underscored an undeniable relevance in modernity. An anthemic lyric that had been sung by millions was rooted firmly in the 3rd verse of the 40th Psalm. I will sing, sing a new song. Psalm 40 is a psalm of King David. Having been delivered from some great danger, David rhapsodizes about God’s grace and the admiration that, as a result, fills his soul. The middle of the psalm takes on the righteous militancy of a protest march, with David rejecting mere sacrifices and pledging a life that would proclaim God’s goodness at every turn. Ultimately, Psalm 40 rests on the active work of God, looking back with thanksgiving and forward with blessed anticipation. Lifted out of the pit of despair, David is able to walk into a secure future with the harmony of heaven itself on his lips.