Watching for the morning on the island of Kauai, July 2008
Psalm 130 - A Psalm of Ascents -
Today's New International Version
Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
from all their sins.
_______
Waiting.
That's my word for this year.
Waiting.
I don't wait very well. That's a fact. I am a restless person by nature and learning to be still, to live in patience -
this is extraordinarily difficult for me.
Which is probably why this is the word that came when I asked God about it near the end of 2011.
Waiting.
But what I don't think I've thought about very much is that this song about waiting...
waiting for God,
waiting for mercy,
waiting for forgiveness,
...is also a song about moving.
This is a pilgrimage song, not a sitting under the palm tree song.
This is a song of hope, not resignation.
This is a song of long-term relationship,
of hope borne of history,
of promises fulfilled over time.
"For with the Lord is unfailing love,
and with him is full redemption."
So...Israel...
So...follower of Jesus...
PUT YOUR HOPE IN THE LORD.
Can I do that today? Can you?
Just for today.
And then we can sing this song again tomorrow.
_______
God of the morning, I am thankful beyond words for signs of your mercy, your forgiveness, your faithfulness over time. Help me to stand with confidence on the foundation of your loving-kindness, to trust that today will be okay because you are in it with me. Thank you for all my yesterdays in which this has been so very true, even when I couldn't quite see you 'in the moment.' Thank you for all my tomorrows, in which this will continue to be true. But most of all, thank you for today, in which this IS true. Help me to wait for you all day through, to wait while I follow this road to Calvary. Just for today. Amen.
