Psalm 130 CEB)

Psalm 130

A pilgrimage song.

130 I cry out to you from the depths, Lord—
2 my Lord, listen to my voice!
    Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy!
3 If you kept track of sins, Lord—
    my Lord, who would stand a chance?
4 But forgiveness is with you—
    that’s why you are honored.

5 I hope, Lord.
My whole being[a] hopes,
    and I wait for God’s promise.
6 My whole being waits for my Lord—
    more than the night watch waits for morning;
    yes, more than the night watch waits for morning!

7 Israel, wait for the Lord!
    Because faithful love is with the Lord;
    because great redemption is with our God!
8 He is the one who will redeem Israel
    from all its sin.

Reflection

This psalm speaks to all of us because we’ve all experienced crying out to God in anguish from the pit of despair. But rather than staying in the pit, the psalmist knows that God hears the cries of God’s people and will respond. And God has responded to the people of God, with forgiveness, faithful love and redemption.

This psalm was a pilgrimage song, perhaps sung by people traveling to Jerusalem for Passover. Imagine the people walking the dusty roads together, the leader singing, “I cry out to you from the depths, Lord-my Lord, listen to my voice.” And the people responded by singing, “Let your ears pay attention to my request for mercy!” During their long journey of walking and singing psalms together, they became a worshiping community, a testimony to their collective experience of God’s forgiveness, faithful love and redemption.

The people sang, “I hope Lord. My whole being hopes, and I wait for God’s promise.” This a yearning we too have experienced. We hope in the Lord and wait for the fulfillment of God’s Kin-dom, both now and not yet. We have whole being hope, hope that encompasses all our hearts, all our being, all our strength and all our minds. Hope that has been fulfilled in our Savior, Jesus. Hope that yearns for God’s faithful love and forgiveness. Hope that awaits the “great redemption” of God’s people and all of creation through Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. We have whole being hope because “we were saved in hope” (Romans 8:24). We have the confidence in and the assurance of God’s promise in Christ Jesus.

by Jeneene Reduker

For Pondering & Prayer

What songs of hope are you singing with your faith community to God on your faith journey? Have you experienced whole being hope-a time of despair or yearning when you trusted in God’s forgiveness and faithful love and felt redeemed as a child of God?

Prayer: Holy and loving God, you are our hope, your love is ever forgiving and faithful and you are with us in our times of need. Help us to remember to sing songs as a community of faith proclaiming your great redemption of the lives of your people. Amen.