By Jamie Harms
The travelers on the road to Jerusalem sought the hope of forgiveness. They recognized the depth of their own sin and cried out for forgiveness and mercy from the Lord. They clung to the hope that their redeemer was coming. We have the benefit of hindsight and know that Jesus Christ is Israel’s redeemer as well as ours. Even though we know that our sins are covered and we are redeemed, sometimes we find ourselves caught in sin’s snare and have to daily discipline ourselves to come before our Lord in confession. In Him, we find hope and forgiveness of sin.
130: My Soul Waits for the Lord
A Song of Ascents. 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Forgiveness and Hope
The psalmist is crying out from the depths to his Lord. Have you ever found yourself in a place of crying out to God? What do you find is your most urgent prayer that you cry out to the Lord?
What sins are you tempted to hold onto? Or what sins continue to condemn you and weigh you down?
Several times it talks about waiting for the Lord and for His coming redemption. What do we learn about God’s forgiveness of our sins from I John 1:9, Hebrews 8:12, and Romans 8:1?
How can we live in light of the truth that we are no longer under condemnation because our Lord provides forgiveness as we come before Him in confession?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to redeem me from my sins. I confess that I still struggle with ______________. I give my struggle with _____________ to you today. Help me to cling to the hope that You are making all things new in Your time. I rejoice in the forgiveness of my sins and the hope for a future found only in You. Amen.