Manic Monday?

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. Psalm 130

• Where is the psalmist when he cries out (v 1)?
• What is he doing repeatedly in this situation (1-2, 5-6)?
• Why was the writer prepared to wait and not give up (v 4)?

Night-watch duty was lonely and potentially dangerous. You can imagine the worry and concern, and the longing for the dawn when light would bring safety. The psalmist says his expectation is greater than this longing.

• Is that true of you?

We may sometimes think that God has deserted us. We’ve botched things up so badly that His presence has fled. Can there be forgiveness? Can there be restoration? Romans 8:38-39 tells us that nothing—that’s absolutely nothing—can separate us from the grip of our loving, saving God.

When you despair like this man don’t focus on your unworthiness, but rather on the Lord’s commitment to you, seen most clearly at Christ’s cross. Look at the last two verses.

• What does his experience of waiting on God lead the psalmist to do?

He knows it’s worth waiting and longing for the LORD. So he encourages others to do the same. He speaks to the rest of God’s people and reminds them that in God they find hope, love and redemption from their sins. His return is well worth looking forward to!

This extract is taken from Explore Daily Bible reading notes