Like the writer of this psalm, I begin many of my prayers with cries for the Lord to hear me---cries for mercy--- then move on to the realization that I am unworthy to be heard by God Almighty (“If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?”). It’s a bleak picture: the psalmist’s situation is bleak (“out of the depths I cry to you”), and his knowledge of the Lord’s holiness causes him to realize that there is no reason why the Lord of the universe should listen to his cries.
And then comes the “but.” “But with you there is forgiveness.” The psalm turns on this verse and you can almost see hope and relief wash over the writer. He shifts from praying to the Lord to speaking to a third party---or perhaps himself---and then to Israel, encouraging patience and hope.
In verse 6 the psalmist uses an interesting analogy to describe his waiting: “more than watchmen wait for the morning.” So I ask myself, “How do watchmen wait for the morning?” Never having been a watchman, it’s hard to say for sure, but I have spent sleepless nights worrying about the welfare of my children or my aging parents, or trying to sort out an intractable problem. One thing I know is that watchmen wait eagerly---they can hardly wait for the long night-shift to be finished. It’s sometimes hard to be patient while waiting. The second thing is that watchmen wait with certainty. They don’t stand around saying “I wonder if we’ll have to wait forever.” Of course not! There is no question in their minds that the sun will come up and their waiting will be finished.
And that’s the hope the psalmist gives Israel, and us---the certainty that the Lord loves us and that however bleak our circumstance, we will not wait forever for redemption. Hallelujah!
by Sally Ivaska
No comments:
Post a Comment