It would do us good to read this entire psalm. Think about what’s ahead each day that we know. There’s a lot out there we don’t even know about. We have a relationship with Jesus Christ and he thinks about us and we think about him. I’m glad we don’t have to do all the thinking and very glad he thinks on me. We’re in his mind and that’s why HE IS GOD and not you and me.
Psalm 40: 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
This is the conclusion of the psalm. How could David the King be poor and needy? I’m not sure exactly when this was written. However, when David was a young shepherd, too young to be part in the military and fight the Philistines, he was a champion. An unlikely one because he was a small fellow and Goliath was 9 feet tall. Nobody had defeated this giant—not until he met a child of God. David went with assurance because he knew God was in charge. He knew God would bring Goliath down. He had already said it.
We plan. Schedules and plans are good to help us do what needs to be done. We write it down and sometimes we lose the list. We get turned around and don’t accomplish what we intended. When it comes to following God, he has a plan. Serve God remembering he’s thinking on us every day to work things out. They may not turn out how we thought or even how we wanted but God knows best. Paul said things were written that we might comprehend the mind of God. That’s about all we can do. We can’t out-think him. We’re actually behind quite a lot. With all that’s going on there is still room for us in God’s mind. We pray at night and go to sleep because we can say within ourselves “it will be all right because of Him.” Praise God for this!
Even childhood prayers teach us that God acknowledges us. “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” We know there is forgiveness for sin, prayer for waywardness, and for his will to be done. He thinks of us when we’re in his will AND he thinks on us when we’re out of his will. The prodigal knew his father thought on him while he was away. He perished with hunger and came to himself realizing his father had plenty. It drove into his heart that his father was there for him, thinking on him. God thinks of us and hears our prayer.
In verse 15 we learn that people laughed at David. It says Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. He was a laughing stock. Even his wife made fun of him when he worshipped God dancing in the street. God took thought of him. He thought of us before we got saved. He loved us as he thought on us but we paid no attention. We ignored him and those praying for us. It was eating me alive. I know now that I wouldn’t have made it to the Lord without the prayers and thoughts of others. We need to be more mindful of each other. There’s not a one of us too small or too old for God to think about. He can think of all of us here and all of our people who are homebound.
When he thinks of you, what does he think? Is he pleased? Does he see something that needs to be fixed up between him and you? You know the condition of your soul. He knows it too and loves us enough to think of us. He told Israel in the book of Jeremiah For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. These are good thoughts. This shows us a merciful Lord. This is why verses 1-2 are possible here in this psalm. I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. This shows us the benefit of God thinking on us.
Our best response is to let God be in more of our thinking. Surely as we go through our day we can give him more time. He’s worth it. What more could we ask for than for him to be thinking on us!
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 