I Wait For The Lord, My Soul Waits And In His Word I Hope
Why Does It Take So Long
PSALM 130:1-8
“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. 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.
”Psalms 130:1-8 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/psa.130.1-8.nkj
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The writer, in the depths of despair, cried out to God for help.
Despair isolates us from God, especially when our anguish has come from sinful behaviour. But the truth is, this is when we need God the most; without doubt, we all need His mercy, His grace, and His help.
But it is encouraging that this Psalm promises redemption to all believers as individuals and as to the whole body of Christ.
Despair because of sin should not lead us into self-pity, but rather into confession and repentance with a unconditional willingness to cooperate with God and turn from sin.
The fruit of humbly submitting to God is peace and joy in Christ without shame.
The truth is, we cannot achieve righteousness by our own power, we need God’s help; it is sin that lets the devil in and block God’s wonderful plan for us. But He is faithful to forgive sin and move us step by step into our calling and abundant life however long that takes (JOHN 10:10). And by the way, for His own sake, God does not remember dealt with sin (ISAIAH 43:25)-He holds no record of our iniquities, but rather, redeemed us from them by His blood and loving discipline.
“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:5-11 NKJV
When we are over whelmed by our troubles however they have come about, feeling sorry for ourselves will increase the feeling of hopelessness. But calling out to God in repentance will bring victory and peace.
We all face troubles, James said “when” not “if” we fall into various trials.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4 NKJV
God disciplines those He loves, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 5:10-11 NKJV
Like the writer here was counting on the Lord, putting his hope in God and His word, put your trust in Jesus Christ. But it is important to understand that God’s timing stretches our patience, builds us up, and changes the way we think (ROMANS 12:1-2).
We cannot go forward and upward until the issues of today have been dealt with; and the truth is, the issues are in us.
Therefore, rather than blame God for what we don’t have or isn’t working out for us, we need to look at ourselves and ask God to reveal the issues that hold us back so that they can be dealt with and speed up the process of growth.
It is encouraging to know “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:29-31 NKJV
Again I tell you, ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
