Living With Victory in 2026
Happy New Year! For this first blog entry of 2026, I wanted to share a few verses from Psalm 40. I have spent time looking at these verses and reading them. I would love to share my thoughts on some Bible verses from time to time on this platform. I also want to continue sharing our experiences with our daughter, Victory. We often share how we “live with Victory” — both literally and spiritually. One of the ways we “live with Victory” is by immersing ourselves in prayer, worship, and the Word of God. It is essential to live a life of victory for all who believe. Let me expand on how I have been doing this so far.
Starting the Year in Prayer With Psalm 40
I’ve attempted to start this year off right by spending the first few moments of my day in prayer and Bible reading. Prior to reading, it is important to first pray. Pray to the Author of the Bible and ask Him to bring understanding, clarity, and even spiritual application to your life. When reading the Bible, I suggest taking your time as you read. Don’t rush through the verses just to get the job done. Instead, take your time on each sentence and even every word. You don’t have to move on to the next chapter or book the next day; instead, you can re-read the same passage again. Think about who wrote the passage. Consider when he wrote it. Reflect on what was going on in the world at the time.
A good resource that I just found is blueletterbible.org. It has the concordances, commentaries, all the translations, and more. I used to have all of those in print form. Sadly, I didn’t have space in our tiny apartment. So, I donated them years ago. Thankfully, now I can use blueletterbible.org and get almost everything back — and then some. This is what I’ve been doing these first few days of our new year, and I have been enjoying it greatly.
Psalm 40: A Few Verses Rich With Insight
Let’s get into the passage I have been reading: Psalm 40. I’m only going to write about the first few verses because you’ll be able to see how just a few verses are rich with important insights for your life and mine.
Using the New King James Version, Psalm 40 begins by saying:
“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.”
Understanding David’s Waiting in Psalm 40
If you just stop there, this verse speaks volumes to all of us. Sometimes the simplest of words can mean so much. David was the King of Israel and, prior to that, was a shepherd. He spent countless days and nights outside with his sheep, and during those times I believe David learned patience and endurance. Many times, the Psalms will open with an explanation of that particular Psalm that gives context. The beginning of this Psalm states that it is for the chief musician and is a psalm written by David.
TheBibleSays.com explains, “This signals that these words were designed to be proclaimed in the context of worship, encouraging God’s people to reflect on the singer’s experience and join in the praise. . . In David’s historical setting, the leadership of the temple singers and musicians was essential for bringing the nation together in worship. By addressing these words to the leader of the gathered praises, David showed his longing that the entire worshiping community share in the truths he proclaimed. Everyone was invited to lift their voices, recognizing the gracious acts of the Lord as a unified people.”
In verse one, we see that David is waiting on the Lord, and in his waiting, the Lord “inclined” to him and heard his cry. When I read this, I can picture the God of heaven bending down intently to listen to His servant. And of course He would do that for King David — but do you know He does this for YOU and ME too? How amazing is the thought that when we truly call out to Him, He hears us.
Pulled From the Miry Clay in Psalm 40
Verse 2 gives another clear image for us. It says,
“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.”
I remember one rainy day way back when I was a teenager. It rained all day and all night for a few days, and I had to go out to do something with the goats we had. As I was making my way down to their goat pen and house, my boots were sinking and sticking in the mud. I had to work hard to pull my legs out, as each step felt like it was being sucked down deeper into the “muck and the mire.” This is the picture I get when I read that verse.
God Himself pulled David, as well as all of us who call upon His Name, OUT of that muddy muck and mire — out of the pit that was sucking him, and us, further and further down. Sin is exactly like this too. We think we can get from point A to point B without falling or failing, but soon we find ourselves being sucked in and down. And before we know it, we are helpless in our sin.
There is no way out — except for the cross. There is no way out — except for the Lord bending down, listening to our cry, and reaching down and grabbing us OUT of the miry clay. And He doesn’t place us back into the mud to sink again. He places us out on a ROCK and gives us sure footing so that we do not have to go back into that pit.
Thebiblesays.com writes: “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm (v. 2) describes God’s direct intervention in David’s plight, painting a picture of rescue from a hopeless predicament. The ‘pit of destruction’ evokes an image of deep distress or even the threat of death, while ‘miry clay’ hints at the muck and slime that traps one in place. David acknowledges that only God could remove him from such peril.”
When Daydreams Lead Away From Victory
Have you ever felt this way — stuck in some rut or besetting or habitual sin? I have. I used to have a bit of anxiety at night, especially weeknights before I had to go to school the next day. So when I couldn’t sleep at night, someone suggested that I “dream” or think about what I hoped my life would be like in the future. As benign and innocent as it was, I would daydream — or night dream, if you will — every night, until it became a routine that turned into a rut that turned into miry clay that I couldn’t pull my mind or feet out of.
My dream world became better than my real life. I was overweight as a child — well, let’s be honest, I’m still overweight. But in my “dream world,” I was skinny and perfect. Don’t get me wrong, I still had friends and a real life, but I couldn’t wait for bedtime so that I could imagine what the future held for me. Again, a little bit of this isn’t wrong, but I took it to the extreme.
I’d rather just lay in bed and dream until I fell asleep. Soon enough, though, I began to see the difference between my reality and my dream world. Discontentment began to creep in, and that eventually led to a bit of depression. It wasted my time and quietly replaced moments that should have been spent praying to the One who actually holds my future. Instead of bringing my hopes and fears to Him, I tried to carry and imagine my future on my own. And once prayer time started slipping away — especially as I was turning into a teenager — those thoughts slowly began to turn into lust.
Thankfully, conviction of the Holy Spirit came, but by then it was a hard cycle to break. Before I fell asleep, while I was waiting for the bus, or on the bus going home, I imagined myself looking exactly the way I thought I wanted to look and being who I wanted to be.
Redirecting Thoughts Through Psalm 40
A moment of daydreaming is not inherently bad or sinful, but it definitely led to opening myself up to sin, negative mindsets, and more. I needed Jesus to reach down and pull me out of the miry clay. And He did. I had to desire it as well. I had to ask Him for help. He bent down and heard my repentant heart and heard my cry, and He got me out of that routine.
I had to pray every night and then go to sleep, and if I couldn’t sleep, I needed to pray or read the Bible some more. It was hard, because sometimes I was so used to thinking that way that I automatically just started “dreaming.” When I realized what I was thinking, I had to stop myself, take control of the thought, and ask for forgiveness.
Scripture tells us to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and to fix our minds on what is pure and above (Philippians 4:8). This doesn’t happen by accident; it requires intentional redirection of our thoughts and hearts. Looking back, worship music didn’t play much of a role in my life at that point, but I now see how powerful it can be — especially for anyone struggling with besetting sin. When we take our eyes off ourselves and our sin and put them back on HIM, everything begins to shift. Pray, read the Word, and worship Him intentionally — not casually.
And as you do, He will reach down and pull you out of your miry clay, whatever that is for you. He will place you on solid footing on a solid rock. TheBibleSays.com continues by explaining:
“The language of being set upon a solid rock conveys stability, a firm foundation replacing a precarious situation. In the broader biblical storyline, rock imagery frequently symbolizes God’s dependable nature (Psalm 18, Matthew 7:24–25). David’s personal rescue testifies that God’s steadfast love provides sure footing when all else sinks away. Once delivered, David did not stand trembling on unsure ground; he walked forward confidently in renewed life. Believers can relate this to their own spiritual journeys, recognizing that God’s salvation through Christ lifts them out of the bondage of sin and places them on firm ground (Ephesians 2:1–7). This verse encourages gratitude and calls each person to step forward securely in the new direction God has provided.”
A New Song of Praise From Psalm 40
We are not nearly done looking at this whole Psalm, but I’ll close out this blog post with one more verse, and then we will pick it up next time. Verse 3 of Psalm 40 says:
“He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.”
It is important to note that God will give you a new song to sing — a praise for all to hear about what He has done. Others can hear and know that He can do it for them too. They can put their trust in the Lord. That should be our true aim in life: to bring praise to God, please Him, and draw others to Him.
Conclusion: Living With Victory
My prayer for you — and for myself — is that we would live with victory in 2026 by waiting patiently, calling out honestly, and standing firmly on the Rock who never fails. Let us allow God to reach down and pull us out of the miry clay, placing us on solid ground. And as He continues His work in us, may others see it, fear the Lord, and place their trust in Him as well.
Reflection Prompt
Take a moment to think about areas in your life where you might feel stuck — like the “miry clay” David describes. Are you trying to carry your future or your struggles on your own? How might God be calling you to lift your eyes and trust Him instead?
Call to Action
This week, practice “living with victory” by intentionally giving God your thoughts and worries. Spend time in prayer, read a short passage of Scripture each day, and let worship music guide your heart back to Him. Notice where He begins to pull you out of the miry clay and place your feet on solid rock — and share that encouragement with someone else.
