Problems can sometimes overwhelm us so much that we feel like we are in a deep and sinking pit. This happens to everyone now and again. There is even a figure of speech, that of “being in deep trouble”, or we are “over our head in trouble”, that describes just how we feel when these things happen. Whether we are literally in a pit, or whether it is a deep and overwhelming problem, we often can’t get out on our own. We need help. Who can we call upon who will hear us, be there, and have the strength and ability to give aid, whether it is our fault it happened, or not? Our psalm for today will tell us that answer.
The author of today’s psalm was deep in some sort of trouble and distress. We don’t know who the author of this psalm is, nor what his trouble was, but he felt quite overwhelmed (vs. 1). The “depths” spoke of any place that felt desperate. This was a time of severe distress. Problems and despair can make us feel isolated and distant from God. This is precisely when we need Him the most. Our psalmist knew this, and that is Who he called upon.
Was this a “pit”, whether literal or figurative, that he fell into by accident, or was it a result of some sinful behavior he got involved in? The psalmist’s words seem to hint that it might have been the latter. The psalmist prayed to God, reminding Him that no one is without any sins, and that if God kept a record of everything everyone did (and He does keep just such a record), no one could stand and face Him (vs. 3). However, he also knew that God is a forgiving God (vs. 4).
Though it isn’t always the case, some suffering is the result of sin. We need to be careful not to judge others in their sufferings, and immediately assume that they are sinners because of what they are going through. But there are times when it is because of sin, and this psalm seems to indicate it was with the psalmist. Despair over sin should not cause us to turn from the Lord. It should lead us to confess, and then turn to Him for mercy, forgiveness, and redemption. In his time of need, our author turned to God and asked for His mercy. When we turn to the Lord and confess what we have done, God delights to forgive. He gives never-ending forgiveness to those who come to Him.
The psalmist reminds us that often we have to wait on the Lord for His answer (vs. 5-6). God does not jump into action on our timetable. When we are in despair we get impatient with God, and often try to do something on our own to solve the problem. However, often the best thing we can do is wait on God. Remember that He is in control. The Lord waits for the best moment to intervene. Waiting is the Lord’s training ground for building strong faith. As we wait we learn to trust more deeply and surely in Him.
In closing, this psalm reminds us that many times we find ourselves deep in the depths, caught in a problem that is sometimes of our own making, but also sometimes not. We live in a fallen world. Panic never leads to anything good. Instead, we need to stay calm and wait for the Lord to be attentive to our cries for mercy. We need to put our hope in God’s Word, which will never fail (vs. 5). When you find yourself in danger, put your hope in God. Trust completely by faith that God will come to your rescue, as He has promised. We can have that certain hope, because God’s Word, the Bible, cannot fail.
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