" I Waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." Ps. 40: 1-3.
These words constitute the personal testimony of King David. Clearly, definitely, honestly, he tells his own experience with God. In reading this experience, the question has often come to me, Is that my experience? Do I sense the fearful situation from which the Lord rescued me? Do I appreciate as truly as did David what the Lord has done for me? And after analyzing my own experience and comparing it with that of David, I desire to bear personal testimony concerning how God has dealt with me and is dealing with me in much the same way as described by David in his personal testimony, which, though given centuries ago, rings as clear and definite as if he were with us in life's conflict to-day.
David said, "I waited patiently for the Lord." That is not always so easy to do. Sometimes I have become fretful and a little impatient about my work or arrangements, and have felt inclined to urge God to do things for me. But I have found that it is always good for me to wait; in fact, that I need to wait God's own time in the management of affairs.
"He inclined unto me, and heard my cry." Patient waiting for the Lord is always thus rewarded. Perhaps the patient waiting must be experienced by father, mother, or friend, in the hope of seeing the answer to prayer in behalf of loved ones; but such waiting will never be in vain.
How well do I remember the first time that God really spoke to me. I was a lad of eight years, living on the farm in Missouri, with father, mother, and six brothers and sisters. It was my assigned portion of the farm work to bring the cows from the pasture every night. One of those nights I remember so well,— the west was golden with the clear sunset, and earth and heaven seemed to meet just a little way beyond the hill. I was deeply impressed by the grandeur of the scene, and the thought came to me, " I wonder if that is the coming of Jesus? " for back in those days we lived in the hourly expectation of seeing Him. Then I said to myself, " No, it cannot be; for father and mother have read to us that there will be a little cloud in the east which will bring Jesus to the earth, and the glorious light which I see is in the west."
But I kept on thinking about the time when Jesus would come, and how I would feel then; and for the first time in my life, as I remember, there came upon me a real conviction of sin and a longing to be free. I knew that I was a sinner, and that I would be lost if Jesus were to come that moment. I knelt down there in the pasture, and I said right out loud, " Lord, I will be your boy, if you will forgive my sins! " I ,never expected to grow to be a man, for we believed that the Lord would come before that time. As I cried out to God alone there in the pasture, " He inclined unto me, and heard my cry." I rose from my knees with a sense of the nearness of God such as I had never known before.
When I reached the house, mother met me at the door, and she at once saw that something was the matter. She said, " My boy, what is the trouble? are you hurt? " " No," I replied. " Are you sick? " she said. " No." " What is the matter, my boy? you have been crying! " I was not sure that my mother would understand [though I have since learned that all true mothers do always understand their boys' struggles], but I said, " O mother, as I was coming home from the pasture, ;there came over me a conviction that I was a lost boy; and I have given my heart...to God and He has forgiven my sins; I know He has heard my prayer." The tears began to trickle down mother's cheeks, and we sat down and talked and prayed together. That was the beginning of my Christian experience. I have made many mistakes in my Christian life, I have had to confess my sins to God and to my fellow men many times, but I am glad that He has always heard my cry.
" He brought me up also out of a horrible pit," testifies King David. I like the way it is put, " He brought me up -also out." He came down into the horrible pit where I was, and He lifted me and brought me up and out. The same Saviour who rescued David, found and delivered me. He came down into the pit of environment and habit of the old life of sin, and He laid hold upon me, and brought me up and out into a new life in Christ Jesus. And He voluntarily came to my rescue; He did not do so by command or force; for we read, " He gave Himself for our sins," and in His own words it is stated, " Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself."
It has always been a great satisfaction to me to know that Jesus wanted to come down to the place where I was, and lift me up and out of the horrible pit of sin.
" Out of the miry clay," He took me. This " miry clay " in the " horrible pit " of sin is that which clings most tenaciously to us,— the besetting sins so characteristic in individual character. It may be swearing, stealing, criticism, jealousy, pride, lying, covetousness, or any other evil tendency which holds us fast. But the same Deliverer who comes down into the pit and lays hold of me, releases from the grip of the miry clay, and -
" He set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." There is a sure foundation provided for progress and stability; there is victory in the life over besetting sins where formerly there was defeat. And this results in a perpetual song of praise:
" And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God." This song of praise is the song of victorious experience? Not all this song has as yet been written. God is writing a stanza of that song in my life every day, which is expressed on the keyboard of experience. And what is the divine purpose in putting this " new song in my mouth " ? Is it simply that I may have joy? Oh, no! The reason is plain:
" Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." I am not only to be joyful in the victorious life which is made possible, but I am to make others glad also in the reality of the experience. My friends, my associates, my fellow workers in the cause of God, must hear a more complete song of victorious experience in my life as the days go by; my wife must hear it, my child must hear it, my neighbors must hear it. " Many " are to " see " and " fear " and " trust " in the Lord. To me there is great inspiration in the personal testimony of King David.
A Conference President.
