Thoughts for the Day

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Psalm 130 is one of the fifteen Psalms (or Songs) of Ascent. They would have been sung by pilgrims as they came to Jerusalem for one of the three main annual Jewish festivals, specifically as they began the ascent of the steep hill that led to the Temple. Each of these Psalms prepares the hearts of the pilgrims in some way as they move towards their worship of God. Among the fifteen are seven penitential psalms, and Psalm 130 is one of these.

The psalm begins by looking back at a time when God had rescued the anonymous writer, not from danger or physical pain, but from an awareness of deep guilt. Whatever brought about this awareness we don't know, but he was in great distress knowing there was no reason why God should forgive all the multitude of sins he had committed - his pride, anger, selfishness, impatience, unkindness - and the times he had broken the Law of Moses. Nevertheless he cried to God to be heard, and waited patiently. Despite having no reason to believe he would be heard, because of God's graciousness he is assured of God's forgiveness.

Alexander Maclaren a Scottish Baptist minister once said, "Forgiveness literally means 'cutting off', and so suggests the merciful surgery by which a cancerous tumour is taken out of the soul." So it is that out of the psalmist's confidence in God's forgiveness to remove the cancer of his sin, he can offer hope to others when they repent of their sin and wait on God.

Lord God,
help us to be aware of all our
multitude of failures,
of the times we plough through the world
and forget to stop and look at ourselves
or blame others for our mistakes..
May we bring to mind all our sin,
then wait upon You,
and ask Your gracious forgiveness.
Amen.