Week 5 - Psalm 130

“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope…for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” (v 1,2,5,7)

In the eight verses of Psalm 130, the name Lord appears eight times. We see that suffering is real and that God is a real presence in it. God brings forgiveness (v4), hope (v5,7), plenteous redemption (v7, KJV), and love (v7).

In this life, you will have sorrows. You will have grief. You will have suffering. There are the depths. Lent is a time to enter the depths. Jesus himself is described as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. (Isa 53:3) He has been to the depths. He understands.

As the psalmist shows us, it is important to name your losses and grief. We are not to stay in our suffering. We pray our suffering. We pray our depths. Acknowledging them with God can bring healing and restoration. We wait and trust in God’s care.

The prophet Isaiah tells us that Jesus is gentle and compassionate. “He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isa 42:2-3)

We will get bruised along the way. Jesus is drawn to what has been bruised. He wants to care for it and restore it. He sees the flame within us that is almost snuffed out. He will tend it and revive it if we let him.  (1)

Some struggles we bring on ourselves. The psalmist tells us, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? (v3)  We will fail. Jesus even predicts the failure of his closest friends, and they still fail. Peter denies even knowing Jesus, and all his disciples flee from him.

Notice how it happens, though. Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him. Then Jesus tells them that he will only be with them a little longer and that where he is going, they cannot follow. (Jn 13) But then he says something extraordinary: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. There is always a place for you with me” (Jn 14: 1-2, par)

“God is deeper than the deepest depth in man.” P.T. Forsyth

Reflect

1. Read Psalm 130. What do you notice?

2. What is in your depths? Have you talked with Jesus about it?

3. How might today be different if you shared your bruises, your sorrows, and your grief with God?

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1. Alan Fadling writes about this in  A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotions For Unhurried Living.