I Will Wait For You by J. Kauflin, M. Merker, K Getty, S. Townend, 2018.

Verse 1

Out of the depths I cry to You;
From darkest places I will call.
Incline Your ear to me anew,
And hear my cry for mercy, Lord.

Observe: Imagine a place so deep and dark, there is no sound and no light. You cry out, but immediately know your voice is absorbed in the nothingness. How alone, how hopeless, how terrified would you feel? The prison of sin is that deep darkness, but, as Jonah discovered, no deep or dark place is hidden from God. “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.” (Jonah 2:2, ESV).

Penitential prayers are those that come from someone deeply troubles and afraid. Like many times in the history of God’s people, our times are troubled and fearful. The penitential psalms have always provided comfort as they climb steadily upward toward assurance and encouragement.

Psalm 130 is just such a psalm. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:1–4).

Verse 2

Were You to count my sinful ways
How could I come before Your throne?
Yet full forgiveness meets my gaze –
I stand redeemed by grace alone.

Chorus

I will wait for You, I will wait for You,
On Your word I will rely.
I will wait for You, surely wait for You
Till my soul is satisfied.

God didn’t need to save humanity. But, in the purest act of grace ever, God made a way to redeem sinners. Look toward his eternal throne. What do you see? Full forgiveness because of His grace alone. Psalm 130:5-6: I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Receiving his grace, now we wait for the fulfillment of his promise for which our souls long.

Verse 3

So put Your hope in God alone,
Take courage in His power to save;
Completely and forever won
By Christ emerging from the grave.

The resurrection of Jesus is the central claim of and is unique to Christianity. It was a radical claim then and remains a radical claim today because it promises total restoration. Paul writes, in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Corinthians 15: 20–21, 49).

These promises are sure for all who have put their eternal future in the hands of Jesus Christ. Verse 4 tells us why.

His steadfast love has made a way,
And God Himself has paid the price,
That all who trust in Him today
Find healing in his sacrifice.

Once again, we have the glorious truth of God, who is just and the justifier of sinners (Romans 3:26). With justification comes the indwelling of God the Spirit who gives us the patience greater than “the watchman waits for the dawn; [as] my soul waits for the Lord.” May this be your cry of hope as this new week of unexpected events dawns on us as we patiently wait on our Lord.

Blessings, Pastor Don.