The psalmist has been in a tough place. He has prayed, he has hoped, and waited patiently and expectantly. And then, against all the odds, against all the evidence of any sort of deliverance, God has come through for him. His natural response is praise and worship and so he proclaims:
4 Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
I wonder if this was the way Asia Bibi was feeling recently when she was aquitted? You may have read or heard on the news about this Pakistani Christian lady. She was just recently acquitted by the Pakistan Supreme Court after having been falsely accused over 8 years ago under the Pakistan Blasphemy law and having spent most of those years in gaol in solitary confinement.
There is no doubt that this psalm describs her situation, as she found herself in a desolate pit and, despite everything indicating differently, having to wait patiently for God to deliver her, to lift her up to a firm, secure place. And he did just that, in answer to her prayers and the prayers of many Christians worldwide. So, with the psalmist we can proclaim, None can compare to the Lord, whose deeds are too many to declare!
Sadly, the negative reaction to the court’s decision by the masses in Pakistan means that God’s continued intervention will be needed in her future life if she and her family are to remain safe. She has been acquitted, but there are opponents who are still fighting that decision. May we faithfully remember her and her family in prayer as she continues to trust in the Lord, whatever the future brings.
Concerning these verses in Psalm 40 Brueggemann comments:
“In verse 4…Trust in Yahweh is here contrasted sharply with trust in idols, who are no proper source of hope. And in verse 5 that contrast leads to a celebration of the distinctiveness of Yahweh. Who is like you? Answer: None…What Yahweh has done for this speaker is taken as characteristic of what Yahweh does all the time for everyone…Yahweh as deliverer is the one who causes surprises…and miracles in the historical process and in creation. No other god does so. This God is the proper source of hope and trust.” (# 2)
And so we proclaim, O Lord, our God, no one compares with you. Such wonderful works and miracles are all found with you!
I guess that most of us who are reading this will never face the things that the psalmist or Asia Bibi had to face, but whatever the situation, the big similarity between them and us is our access to our Heavenly Father. In faith and with hope we all can pray, wait and see the salvation of God in our lives and then respond in thanksgiving and praise to Yahweh for his wonderful works. There is none like Him.
Father, what a great privilege to be a child of yours and to be able to come to you confident that you hear us. We pray for courage and faith for our brothers and sisters falsely accused and suffering in many counties of the world because of their love for Jesus. May we all glorify your name in the places where you have placed us. Amen.
Tehilim (Psalms) - "songs of praise". 