Sometimes the problems in our life can seem so overwhelming, as if the floods of our troubles keep washing over us, and we feel like we are sinking under them. We can picture ourselves with wave after wave coming upon us, and we can’t seem to come up to fresh air. Or maybe we picture ourselves down in a deep pit with no way out. There is nothing to grab on to in order to climb out, and no rope to hang on to. We are down in the depths, and the only hope we have is to call upon the Lord to rescue us. This is where our psalmist for today found himself. Let’s look at what he says.
Today’s psalm is one of fifteen psalms, Psalms 120 - 134, that were called “Songs of Ascent”. They were mostly short psalms that pilgrims going up to Jerusalem would sing or recite together. They were called songs of ascent, as Jerusalem was on a higher elevation, and when coming to the city, one was ascending or climbing from just about any direction they came from.
The author of this psalm was in some sort of severe distress, as he felt like he was sinking, that he was down in the depths, with no way out (vs. 1). Either he has no friends willing to help him, or they are unable to, and he can’t help himself. There is no one but God, and he is crying out to Him (vs. 2). How many times have we all felt like that? “God, help me! Hear my voice! Hear my cries to You!” That is what our psalmist is crying today. Despair makes us feel distant from God and isolated. However, this is when we need God the most. When we are overwhelmed, crying out to God will turn our attention to the only One who can really help us.
Perhaps the problem that the psalmist found himself in was brought about through some sin he had committed, or that he isn’t exactly as he should be. It isn’t specifically mentioned, but in verses 3 and 4 he mentions that if God listed every sin a person committed, no one could stand before Him. Thankfully, though, God will bring His forgiveness to those who confess and repent, to those who fear Him, giving Him the reverence and honor that is due Him.
One thing that is so wonderful about God is that when we confess our sins to Him, He forgives and wipes our record clean. He doesn’t keep a list of all of our past sins and failings like so many people do. He forgives us completely. People are not like that, though. Many people will say that they forgive you for something that you did, but will bring it up again later, throwing that fault back in your face. They are like a dog burying a bone in the yard. It’s buried and out of sight for a while, just like the fault your spouse, relative, or friend said they forgave. Yet when it suits them, like the dog with his bone, they dig it back up again to throw it at you. God, though, does not throw former sins in our face. When He forgives, it is forgotten (Psalm 103:12; Micah 7:19).
As our psalmist recounts, sometimes we have to wait upon the Lord for His answer. We never have to wait for His forgiveness, though. That is instantaneous, from the moment we confess the sin. However, sometimes we need to wait for deliverance from a problem we may be in (vs. 5-6). Sometimes the Lord has a lesson that He wishes us to learn, or perhaps He is waiting for just the right time. God waits until the very best moment to intervene. He doesn’t spring into action on our timetable. Our psalmist knows not to rush God’s answer, but to wait patiently for him. Though it may seem like a long time, he knows not to be impatient. He is eagerly waiting for God's response, just as someone waiting for the dawn of a special day (vs. 6). When there is a certain day we are waiting for, maybe a holiday, a wedding, or an awaited party, we can get impatient for that day to come. Like eager children, we can’t wait for the day to finally dawn. That is how the psalmist is waiting for God’s response. He knows it is coming, and he waits in anticipation.
In closing, I ask us all the question, where is our hope and trust placed? When we are down in the depths of that pit of trouble, in whom are we placing our trust? Is it in our friends, our relatives, the government, our bank account? The psalmist knew where to put his hope and trust. He put it in the Lord and in His Word, the Bible (vs 5). He is the only One we can truly trust. We can have a sure hope because God’s Word cannot fail!
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