Confidence in the Lord

PSALM 130 IS THE ELEVENTH of fifteen psalms known as the Songs of Ascent. These songs were traditionally sung by Hebrew pilgrims as they ascended the uphill road to Jerusalem to attend the three annual pilgrimage festivals at the Temple.—Deut. 16:16; Ps. 122:1-4

The primary theme of these Songs of Ascent was to encourage pilgrims on their journey towards Jerusalem. A secondary theme addressed in these psalms was the hopeful expectation of salvation through the arrival of the coming Messiah. The Apostle Paul later refers to conditions and events such as these which should have made them ready to accept Jesus Christ when he appeared on the scene.—Gal. 3:21-24

Verses one through three set the context of this psalm. “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord,” verse one says. Deep waters is a common figure used in the Bible to denote distress and danger. Personal suffering is spoken of here, but also national suffering. The psalmist feels this burden intensely. Israel is in danger of being overwhelmed by a sea of trouble. The psalmist longs for redemption for his countrymen, as shown in verses 7 and 8, whereas verses 1 through 6 focus on his individual distress. Thus, we can learn personal lessons from the psalmist’s plight.

The word “depths” as used here could be applicable to afflictions such as sorrow from loss of friends, property, or physical suffering. It could also apply to the consciousness of guilt resulting from sin. Such depths can likewise result from mental anguish due to a loss of faith, succumbing to a powerful temptation, or distress and sadness of heart in view of the pain and suffering of the world. From these and other depths of sorrow, however, it is our privilege to call upon the Lord for help.—Phil. 4:6,7, NLT

Verse three of our lesson points out a severe fear of the psalmist. If God were keeping records of wrongdoing, no one could be saved. The Apostle Paul tells us that the law did exactly that: “Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins.” (Gal. 3:19, NLT) The only way of relief for a sin-entangled soul is by looking to God alone. Many things may present themselves as diversions or remedies, but the Lord alone can heal. How thankful we should be that such fear can be removed through faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “Because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.”—Phil. 4:7, Contemporary English Version

Today’s Key Verse reveals the psalmist’s confidence that God will hear and respond to every cry of pain, because love and mercy defines who he is. (I John 4:8; Ps. 116:5) Not only did the psalmist put his hope in the Lord, but also the Apostle Paul reminds us concerning Abraham when the promise of a son in his old age seemed impossible: “God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations.” (Rom. 4:18, CEV) Like the psalmist and those such as faithful Abraham, let us have unwavering confidence in the Lord and his direction in our lives.