The feeling of sinking is not a pleasant one. It can be terrifying for someone who doesn’t know how to swim to suddenly find themselves in the deep end of the pool. The feeling of sinking can come to people when they have an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, of being deep in something over their head, such as sinking in debt, or sinking in some job, or a relationship. Sometimes people have recurring nightmares of sinking, waking up in a fear-driven panic. Our psalm today is a plea and a cry to God from someone who felt that he was sinking. Let’s take a look at the psalm and see what we can learn and apply to our own life.
Our psalmist is in some sort of unnamed trouble or problem. He feels like he is sinking down deep, unable to get out of this situation by himself (vs. 1). What do we do when we are in a similar circumstance? We try on our own to find a solution, but we find we are unable to do anything just by ourselves. Perhaps we have some friends that we can turn to, someone who is more clever than we are, or who has more resources. However, there are times we have no one we can turn to, or maybe the problem we have is more than anyone can handle. Where do we go then? This is where our psalmist is. Where did he turn? From the very depths of his problem he cries out to Yahweh for help, pleading with Him to hear his voice (vs. 2).
Though the source of his problem is never specifically mentioned, there is a hint in this psalm that it might have been due to some sin he had committed. The psalmist acknowledges that if God marks down all of our sins and transgressions, no one would be able to stand before Him (vs. 3). This spiritual truth that we are all sinners is echoed throughout the Bible, specifically by David in Psalm 14:1-3, by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:20, and by Paul in Romans 3:10. However, our psalmist knows that Yahweh is a merciful and forgiving God (vs. 4), that His forgiveness is never ending. We have assurance that God will forgive us if we confess our sins to Him.
Often when we cry out to God in prayer over some desperate problem we are facing, His answer seems long in coming. All too often we get frustrated and even angry at God. We might even be tempted to throw our hands up in despair, saying that God has forgotten us or that He doesn’t care. Our psalmist shares another Scriptural truth here with us, that often we need to wait for the Lord’s answer (vs. 5-6).
Waiting for anything can often be difficult. No one enjoys waiting to hear if one has been hired, following that nerve-wracking interview, or waiting for that important check to come in the mail. When one is sinking deep in a problem, waiting for help can be very difficult. If a friend has promised help, we want them to come right away. When we have prayed to God for an answer, we don’t want Him to take long in answering. God, though, often seems to wait a long time. Why do we have to wait? Doesn’t God see that we have sunken deep into our problem, and need the help now? God waits until the very best moment to intervene in a problem in our life. He goes by His timetable. As we wait, we need to learn to trust Him. God may seem to be slow, but He is never late.
In closing, our psalmist urges us to put our hope in the Lord (vs. 7-8). Our help comes from Him. He, alone, is the only One we can truly rely on. He, alone, is the only one who can redeem us from our sins, and bring us redemption. When we feel most isolated and distant from God, that is when we need Him the most. Our problems should lead us to confession, and then God’s mercy and forgiveness. Always remember, as our psalmist proclaims, with the Lord there is mercy.
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