Psalm 130:1-8
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.
Verse 3 asks: "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" Not me! If there was a record kept of all my sins, it would be a very long and sad report. I think it is important to admit this, to recognize the depths of our depravity. It's not something that I can make right just by doing a few extra good deeds. I am a hopeless sinner! This is why I must cry out to God for mercy (verse 2). The good news is that He hears my cry, and "with [God] there is forgiveness" (verse 4). Thus we put our hope in the Lord (verse 7).
Lord, I confess to being a sinner. Thank You for forgiving me.
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.
Verse 3 asks: "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" Not me! If there was a record kept of all my sins, it would be a very long and sad report. I think it is important to admit this, to recognize the depths of our depravity. It's not something that I can make right just by doing a few extra good deeds. I am a hopeless sinner! This is why I must cry out to God for mercy (verse 2). The good news is that He hears my cry, and "with [God] there is forgiveness" (verse 4). Thus we put our hope in the Lord (verse 7).
Lord, I confess to being a sinner. Thank You for forgiving me.