Psalms for Lent 2013 (3) - Psalm 130 - Hope in the Lord.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;

² Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

The psalmist feels utter depression and disappointment in himself, because his sins caused him not only to fail God, but to fail himself as well.  His wrong and sinful decisions brought him into deep trouble.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?

⁴ But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

If God was in the business of keeping record of our sins and weaknesses – or our foolishness, nobody could remain in his presence and community.  But we can grow in reverence for the Lord as we daily experience his forgiveness.  Repentance becomes the foundation of our relationship with the Lord, our spiritual growth and our learning of how to walk with the Lord

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

⁶ I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, 

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

We are impatient to get out of trouble, the trouble caused by our unrighteous choices and lifestyles. Once we repented we expect everything to be repaired and restored immediately.  But it doesn’t work that way.  As a soldier on night duty waits for the morning to come, getting tired of waiting for the sun to rise, so we wait upon the Lord’s restoration.  God journeys with us and “takes his time” to lead us in the reformation and restoration to a life that is God honouring and enabled to serve him with reverence again. When we consider the Word of God the final rule of faith and life, it keeps our hope to be restored, alive.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

⁸ He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Yet, even if it feels like a lifetime – like a never ending story – to repair whatever have brought our lives into a bad state, God is in the business of reparation, of forgiveness and redemption.

Jesus Christ redeemed us once and for all.

Let’s put our hope in the Lord!

Let’s wait upon his mercies and his grace, in Christ Jesus.

As soldiers guarding a fortress,

wait for the sun to rise,

for countless, endless hours,

through nights with darkest skies.

So I wait on the Lord God,

I’m waiting long, its hard!

But God in grace and mercy,

will not my plea discard. 

Have hope, have faith, God’s people,

and trust in God who saves.

With sunrise comes his mercy!

God rescues from the grave.

His love, his grace, his pity

bring light, create the day.

Absolve my sins, forgive me,

LORD, while I wait, and pray.