Psalm 130 - Waiting for the Redemption of the LORD

This short Psalm records a strong expression of faith and hope in God's mercy and forgiveness, even in the midst of the psalmist's own struggles and failings. Through this, we are reminded of the importance of acknowledging our sin and turning to God for forgiveness and salvation, for there is hope and redemption available to us through Him.

Hope in Prayer

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. Psalm 130:1-4

Psalms are usually raw expressions of personal struggles, assurances and statements of faith written by people who experienced the presence and understood the nature and character of the LORD. The struggles resonate well with us since we at some point in our lives experience and traverse a similar path. No struggle is more relatable than the struggle with sin, as we see in this Psalm.

Depths! The psalmist felt so far removed from the LORD that he placed himself in the deep dark depths. In an odd way at times we feel so in our lives as well. It may not be a noticeable change, but eventually when we look back we are really far away from the LORD. It would be appalling to realise that we have removed ourselves from His presence. Moreover, it is even harder to close the gap between us and the LORD. With all this in mind, the Psalmist (from the depths) cries out seeking the LORD, and pleads to the LORD to be attentive to his supplications. Much like how we try to seek the LORD after a misstep. We do wish that we never stepped away from His path, and would have tried our best to remain in it, but it is never too late to get back. If the LORD never forgave all our iniquities we can never stand, in fact no one could stand. This is why Jesus Christ offered himself as an atonement, and through his blood we are cleansed. Thus, we have forgiveness in the LORD. But this is not an excuse to keep sinning, for the LORD is to be feared, He is the Holiest of Holies and sin has no place in Him. So we pray in hope for forgiveness and for the strength to never stray away from the good path again.

Patience in Hope

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities. Psalm 130:5-8

Waiting for the LORD is a pleasant experience. For it is like the break of dawn. A new beginning. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23). To understand the LORD’s steadfast love, how can we not wait? Our hope is renewed as well, through His words. Our hope will enable us to see His mercies and the redemption of not just us, but all mankind. So let’s remember to: Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psalm 27:14).