Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:17):
Welcome to the
Recovered Christian Podcast.
This is Suzanne, and today I'mtalking about one of my very
favorite Psalms.
The first verses of Psalm 40really helped me in the early
days of my recovery.
I needed to know God was there,waiting to help and ready to
rescue, and I desperately neededto know I had a future ahead of
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me, a journey from despair todeliverance.
This is Psalm 40, verses 1through 5.
I waited patiently for the Lordto help me and he turned to me
and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit ofdespair, out of the mud and the
mire.
He set my feet on solid groundand steadied me as I walked
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along.
He has given me a new song tosing, a hymn of praise to our
God.
Many will see what he has doneand be amazed.
They will put their trust inthe Lord.
Oh, the joys of those who trustthe Lord, who have no
confidence in the proud or inthose who worship idols.
Oh Lord, my God, you haveperformed many wonders for us.
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Your plans for us are toonumerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all yourwonderful deeds, I would never
come to the end of them when youare in the depths of addiction.
When the suffocating grasp ofdespair feels unyielding, it's
natural to feel isolated,forgotten and alone.
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In my life, those dark years ofstruggle were the worst, the
loneliest of my whole life.
Each day was filled with hidingand sickness and desperation,
only to repeat the next day.
It's an unending cycle ofmisery and it can feel like it
will never end and there is noway out.
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But spoiler alert it can endand there is a way out, and I am
living proof of that.
In Psalm 40, there is hope.
David wrote this Psalm.
He spent much of his life indanger, on the run, battling
enemies.
There were times when heprobably felt life was hopeless
and there was not ever going tobe a happy outcome.
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In those times, david cried outto God for help.
There are lots of Psalms fullof David's cries for help.
He cries out and God answers.
Psalm 40 is a reminder that evenin our most desperate moments,
god is not deaf to our cries.
He hears, he cares and herescues.
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He heard David, he heard me andhe will hear you.
Our sweet Father lifts us upout of the pit of despair, out
of the mud we are stuck in withno hope of escaping and he sets
us on solid ground.
But he doesn't leave us thereto fend for ourselves.
He's still there, steadying usas we walk along.
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He stays with us always.
Even when things are good andlife is happy, we still need a
steadying arm, keeping us goingand leading us on the right path
.
I know I do.
That pit of despair is stillthere.
God will lead us away from itevery day, every minute, if we
need Him to.
David speaks of patientlywaiting.
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Waiting not in idle desperation, but in a hope rooted in faith.
It's a waiting thatacknowledges our need for the
Father's intervention,understanding that our own
efforts often fall short inbreaking the chains of addiction
.
I couldn't do it alone.
Honestly, I don't even know howto get started.
It just seemed impossible.
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But God knew and he intercededfor me.
But God's rescue isn't a handout.
It's a complete overhaul.
He doesn't patch up ourtroubles temporarily.
He fundamentally alters ourfoundation.
He completely restores andrecovers our lives.
He picks us up and sets us onthe firm foundation.
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That is the rescue God offers.
And it's not just a rescue,it's a transformation, a healing
, a restoration that bursts anew song within us, a melody of
praise and thanksgiving, howgrateful I am that he saved me.
He lifted me up out of that pitof addiction.
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He held me safe and gave me abrand new life.
And here's the most wondrousthing this song isn't just for
me or for us, it's for everyone.
It's a glorious song that drawsothers to witness God's
miraculous work, compelling themto trust in Him too.
I just love verse 5.
Here it is again.
Oh Lord, my God, you haveperformed many wonders for us.
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Your plans for us are toonumerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all yourwonderful deeds, I would never
come to the end of them.
Let's think about that.
He has performed wonders for us, for us, for me, for you.
Wonders.
His plans for us are toonumerous to list.
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Good plans, happy plans, plansfull of life and fun plans to
delight us.
God loves to delight us.
I tell Him that all the timedelight me.
Today, father, when you loveand honor Him in your life and
keep your focus on Him, he willdelight you beyond your wildest
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dreams.
The Father has no equal.
If we tried to recite all Hiswonderful deeds, we would never
come to the end of them.
Isn't that amazing?
There's no end to what he willdo for us, and yet we don't let
Him.
It breaks my heart to think ofall the years I spent in bondage
when I could have had Himworking His wonderful deeds in
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my life.
It breaks my heart to think ofall the people still doing that.
Has God performed any wonders inyour life?
Have you been recovered fromthe pit or are you still down in
there?
Are you walking the right roadwith God by your side, or are
you still stuck in the mud,hopeless and helpless?
If you're still in the mud, youdon't have to stay there.
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Ask God for help.
Surrender your will and yourlife to Him.
Lay it all down.
Acknowledge that you cannot doit on your own.
Reach out and grab His handWith all your heart.
Reach out.
He will take it.
He will.
There's a new life waiting foryou and he will walk beside you
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every step of the way.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, I come to youtoday with a humble and grateful
heart.
When I was in the depth of thepit, you heard my cry.
You reached into the depth andpulled me into your light, and
today I stand in awe of yourunwavering love that lifted me
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from despair and set me onto thepath of redemption.
I pray you do that for everyonestill there, every heart
begging you for help.
Reach out, father, and pullthem out.
Set them free and never leavetheir sides.
May our lives reflect yourwonders, a living testimony to
your faithfulness.
Help us to find joy in trustingyou alone, regardless of the
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circumstances that surround us.
Keep us strong, keep us healthyand keep us focused on you In
Jesus' name.
Amen.
As you navigate today, cling tothe assurance that God hears
your cries in the depths of yourstruggles.
Embrace patience, for in thewaiting there is the cultivation
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of trust in his perfect timing.
Surrender your burdens to him,knowing that his rescue isn't
just a quick fix.
It's a profound transformationthat leads to a new song of
praise and a new life.
Trust in the Lord, find joy inhis unwavering love and let your
life become a living testamentto his redeeming power.
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You are not alone in thisjourney.
May his wondrous works fillyour life today and always.
I'll see you next time.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope your bite-sized devotiontoday was very satisfying.
If you enjoyed this episode,I'd be honored if you'd leave a
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review or a rating.
We are new, so every little bithelps me bring the word to the
world.
I'd love to get to know youbetter at our Facebook group,
the Recovered Christian.
I'll put a link to it in theshow notes.
So thanks again for being hereand I will see you next time.