Reading
Psalm 130
Introduction
This is a true story. A musician—I can’t remember who—has about 20 guitars in his music room. Someone asked him how many guitars would be enough. He answered, “One more…”
If there was one thing you could have more of, what would it be?
- More money?
- More health?
- More friends?
- More holidays?
All of these would be nice but do any of them really satisfy the deep needs of the human heart?
How about more of what church used to be like? Personally, I’d like more than church ever was. I want
- more of God in our church,
- more of God in my life.
I’d like people to have
- more assurance that their sins are forgiven,
- more awareness that God actually loves them,
- more confidence in sharing their faith.
The psalm we’re looking at came to my attention as one of the lectionary readings for one of my preaching dates this year but didn’t seem to be the thing to preach on at the time. But something in it caught my eye and resonated with me. Verses 5 and 6 say,
Something of the psalmist’s intense longing for God comes across. I wonder, do you and I ever experience this depth of yearning for the presence of God?
Now, it’s true that God is everywhere, and there is nowhere that we can flee from his presence, but there are times when the presence of God is a whole lot more than a notional concept; when we are a lot more aware of his presence; when God moves in powerful ways.
Have you ever been in church when the peace of God has descended on everyone present and you’ve not wanted to leave?
In the great revivals of the past, the tangible presence of God caused people to weep for their sins and cry out to God for mercy. Miraculous events happened, with healing, deliverance, and lives being changed.
If we’re to see the demise of our churches arrested and reversed, we certainly need something more than what we’ve had.
Jesus said, ‘… apart from me you can do nothing.’ One implication of this is that if we’re to be the church God wants us to be, Jesus must be the centre and focus of it, otherwise everything we do will amount to nothing. Another implication is that, even though God is everywhere, it is possible to be apart from him.
To move forward as a church, to be all that God intended us to be, we need God’s guidance, God’s presence.
Psalm 130
This psalm is charged with desperation and yet, ironically, is full of hope, and we can learn a few things about seeking God from it.
Verses 1 and 2. The psalmist is more than down in the dumps: ‘Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD’. Yet, even down that deep hole, he knows the LORD is the one with the answers.
Are you in a hole? Cry out to the LORD!
We need mercy from God to turn things around. Apart from him we can do nothing.
Cry out to the LORD!
Verses 3 and 4. The psalmist is only too aware of his own shortcomings and the failings of God’s people, and he knows that sin damages their relationship with God. Psalm 66:18 says, ‘If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have listened’ (NIV) and Isaiah 59:1-2 tell us, ‘1Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.’ (NIV)
If we seek the face of God, we will need to take stock. There will be a necessity for repentance, both personal and corporate. And the psalmist has great words of encouragement here. ‘...with [God] there is forgiveness...”
And when God forgives, the record is cleared; he doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve! When we find that forgiveness, how thankful we are! It leads us to a deep reverence for God, and allows us to return to fruitful service.
‘4But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.’
Verse 5. How is the psalmist sure he can obtain forgiveness? Because God’s word says so. For example, Isaiah 55:6-7 tells us, ‘6Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.’ (NIV)
That’s Old Testament grace! We also have New Testament grace: 1 John 1:9 says, ‘9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ (NIV)
Verses 5 and 6. Here we see someone who is determined to secure from God the relief that he needs. I think of Jacob who wrestled all night with God and said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ (Gen. 32:26b, NIV) The psalmist is of the same mind! ‘I wait for the LORD…’ Twice he tells us that.
The first time he tells us that everything he is is focussed on seeking God, ‘my whole being waits…’ This matters more to him than anything else.
Then he tells us that he is more intent on looking for God’s response than watchmen looking for the morning.
I looked up ‘Watchman’ in my New Bible Dictionary. It told me the watchman’s job was to look out for hostile action against the city, and to tell the king of anyone approaching the city walls. Then it says, ‘In time of hostility the dangers of the night were especially feared and the watchmen eagerly looked forward to the break of day.’
We’ve probably all seen war films where commandos or the SAS are attacking an enemy location under cover of darkness. It’s always the guards on night watch who are first to meet their maker! No wonder they long for the night to be over!
The psalmist yearns for the LORD’s response more than they yearn for morning. Only the LORD’s response will meet his need. He waits for God’s merciful response which is as certain to come as the morning, which always comes. But, O that it might come quicker!
If we seek God, we will find him!
Verses 7 and 8. The psalmist encourages the LORD’s people to get on board with him. ‘...put your hope in the LORD,’ he tells them.
Now to hope, in Biblical terms, isn’t wishful thinking. It means to look forward with eager expectation. And God will surely answer with mercy and forgiveness. The morning will come!
We are the people of God, and so we are exhorted to put our hope in the LORD. God is the only one who can meet our need. And we’re given two reasons here for why we can count on him.
Firstly, he loves us more than we can imagine, with a never-failing love. Though we have been unfaithful, he never will be. He loves us with an eternal love.
Secondly, he has done everything necessary to save us. He has paid the full redemption price. In the light of the New Testament, these verses are amazing. They look forward to Jesus who, at the cross, paid the price to rescue us from darkness and from the penalty of our sins.
How to Wait
So, how can we wait on God? It’s not the passive waiting of the dentist’s waiting room. The psalmist is waiting very actively.
- He’s acknowledging his utter dependence on God.
- He’s crying out for mercy.
- He’s reminding God of his forgiving nature.
- He’s making God the focus of his life.
- He’s trusting in the utter reliability of God.
- He’s putting himself in a place where God can find him!
- And he’s hanging in there for the answer!
What do we really want for our church, for ourselves? Same old same old? Or more of God?
How do we find the presence of God? How do we find God’s way forward? Well, here are some ideas.
- First of all we have to recognise we need his guiding presence with us. No amount of planning or reorganisation will make any difference if he isn’t leading us.
- We need to cry out to God for his help.
- If there’s any repenting to be done, we should do it.
- Let’s make the Lord Jesus the focus of our living.
- Let’s understand that God is for us!
- Let’s surround ourselves with the things of God. Actually read our Bibles. Worship and pray.
- Let’s seek until we find.
Conclusion
If we are to grow again, we must have God at the centre of all we do. We must soak our on-going journey in prayer.
We must put our hope in the LORD. If we do that, the morning will surely come!
