His Compassion Will Not Be Restrained: Psalm 40-Supplication through the Scriptures

His Compassion Will Not Be Restrained 

Psalm 40

To speak of God the Father as “the Father of mercies” is to say that he is the one who multiplies compassionate mercies to his needful, wayward, messy, fallen, wandering people.
Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

God’s compassion toward us is His tender mercy, pity, and love. In Psalm 40, David prays, “You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me.” The ESV translates this as, “As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me.” This is tender comfort for those times when “evils beyond number” surround us (40:12). Whether it be our own iniquities which abound, others who seek to hurt us and delight in it, or anything that makes us afflicted and needy (40:12,14, 17). His compassionate mercy toward us is not restrained. He is mindful of us. He is our help. He is our deliverer. In His faithfulness and lovingkindness He will be there to meet us with His presence in our time of need. 

We can trust that He will act according to His compassion for His children. Paul, in Ephesians, says that when we were dead in our trespasses, God, rich in mercy, because of His great love, made us alive together with Christ (2:4). When we were His enemies, His rich mercy and great love caused Him to act, how much more will He move in compassion toward His very own children, bought with the precious blood of His only Son? Are you doubting God’s mercy and compassion toward you in your situation? Look to the cross and all Christ suffered to reconcile us to God. He secured our confident access to the throne of grace where we can obtain mercy for our time of need. 

So draw near to Him today. Request His active compassion for your situation. Whether it’s the ordinary day to day stresses and busyness, or the deeper, soul wrenching anguish. Bring it to the One who helps, delivers, and pours out compassion. He will not withhold or restrain His compassion from you. Marvel at His greatness and rejoice.

Preserve Me

40:11-12 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. 
Let’s pray:
▫️The Lord would be compassionate and merciful to us today in whatever situations are causing us distress. Are we anxious about our finances, the future, a wayward child, our own sinfulness? Let’s pray He would not restrain His compassion toward us but would overwhelm us with His mercy.
▫️His steadfast love and faithfulness would give us a firmness of soul, and He would preserve and keep us, helping us to trust in Him.
▫️We would not be overcome by discouragement and hopelessness when evils encompass and surround us.
▫️We would confess our sin and trust His faithfulness to forgive our sins when it seems our iniquities have overtaken us. 

Deliver Me

40:13-15 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 
Let’s pray: 
▫️The Lord would be pleased to deliver us from what is troubling us. 
▫️The Lord would make haste to help us. He would quickly bring about the wisdom needed, the relief required, and the hope to sustain.
▫️If we are facing those who delight in our hurt, we would entrust ourselves to the One who judges righteously and we would be strengthened to follow Christ’s example (1 Peter 2:21-23).
▫️We would not need to defend ourselves against others, but the Lord would defend us and put to shame those who seek us harm and give us relief when we suffer unjustly.

Do Not Delay, O my God!

40:16-17 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
Let’s pray:
▫️Today, we would seek the Lord. Seek His presence, help, guidance, joy, and wisdom, and His presence would give us gladness and we could then “rejoice always” (1Thessalonians 5:16) no matter what today holds. 
▫️Our joy would be evident to those around us.
▫️We would be able to say continually “Great is the LORD!” because we love Him and we are trusting Him and His mercy in our life.
▫️In our neediness and affliction, we would be comforted to know that the Lord takes thought of us, and He has multiplied His wondrous deeds and thoughts toward us and they are more than can be told (Psalm 40:5).
▫️The Lord would be a very present help (Psalm 46:1) to us moment by moment today.
▫️He would deliver us and He would not delay.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.




Psalm 40:11-17 quoted from the ESV.
Photo credit to pangare

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