Read the psalm below or here and then join me in reflecting on the message.
“Out of the depths”…The Lord loves to answer our emergency prayers. It doesn’t matter if we are to blame for being in the depths we can still cry out to God and he will listen.
“Hear my voice”…God knows my voice. He knows my heart when it aches or bleeds or is broken. He recognizes my soul as one in a universe. My cries of mercy will be listened to by the Lord of all creation.
“If you Lord, kept a record of sins”...My ledger would be full. Volumes would be written on me. The record would show ample evidence of my propensity to fail you and those around me.
“But with you there is forgiveness”…My sin doesn’t secure my future, God’s forgiveness is my security and destiny. Not so I can gloat and feel proud of myself but so I can serve with reverence.
“I wait for the Lord”...Every part of myself waits for the Lord. Just a word for him is enough to fill me with hope. My mind waits to be covered in thoughts from above. My soul waits to be restored. My body waits to be empowered to do good things. My heart waits to be mended and stitched to resemble Christ’s heart.
“More than watchmen”…I long for the light and for the darkness to be finished. At that moment, my striving and straining will be over and my hope will be fulfilled.
“Israel, put your hope in the Lord”…To hope is to anticipate the good that is coming. God is full of goodness and steadfast (unceasing) love. Nothing can separate us from this goodness. This good is coming.
“And with him is full redemption”…What I have trashed and torn apart through my sin and unfaithfulness, God will completely restore to what it should be.
“He himself”…There is nothing I can do to make this redemption happen, only God. I cry out and he listens. I seek forgiveness and he absolves me of my mistakes. I wait and he brings hope. I am in his hands and he is making me a child of His.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
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.
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.
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.
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