Psalms of the Ascents: Awaiting Redemption

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 130:5

I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.

(CSB)

A world seeking instant gratification easily becomes impatient when having to wait.  On the highways this impatience has the potential to become dangerous as people in a hurry to reach their destination speed, tailgate cars they believe are moving too slow, and make unsafe lane changes trying to pass slower cars.  Financially this impatience leads to overuse of credit cards due to people having the attitude of I can buy it now and pay later because I just cannot wait.  Theologically this can also lead to false teaching as people grow impatient waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. 

2 Peter 3:8 is a reminder that the Lord operates on a different time scale then we do.  God is eternal and can see past, present, and future all at the same time.  Therefore, God is never late, never in a hurry, and always on time.   Our finite view of time remembers the past, lives in the present, and has uncertainty about the future.  When problems come, our minds go to memories of the past, with a tendency to remember the worst and apply that scenario to our present situation.  Our minds also search our past memories seeking solutions to our present situation that often do not provide a solution and make matters worse.  However, due to our impatience and belief that we need an instant solution to our situation, we apply our solution, and often suffer dire consequences. 

In contrast, Christians have a relationship with and access to God who knows our past, present, and future and has good plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).  Without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6).  However, is it a lack of faith that leads to our impatience in waiting for the Lord or a lack of trust.  Romans 12:3 reminds us that all professing faith in Jesus as their savior have received a measure of faith from God, with faith, even in an extremely small amount, able to move a mountain (Matthew 17:20).  Therefore, with all believers in Christ having a measure of faith that could move a mountain, it is not a lack of faith that leads to impatience but instead a lack of trust.  In Psalm 130, the words of the psalmist demonstrate a high level of trust in God to provide redemption, providing lessons for us as we learn to trust while waiting on the Lord.  In the psalm we see the psalmist,

1)      Crying out to the Lord (Psalm 130:1) – Instead of impatiently solving his problem using what has worked in the past, the psalmist cries out to God.  This shows a high level of trust in God having the solution to his problem. The first reaction of a believer in Christ when trouble comes should be crying out to God.  However, sometimes our lack of trust causes us to become a problem solver applying our own solution which often does not provide a solution and instead makes matters worse.

2)      Plea for God to listen (Psalm 130:2) – This passage demonstrates some doubt that God is listening.  When we pray and do not receive an immediate answer, it may seem God is not listening.  In the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus illustrates that even an unjust judge will answer the request of one persistent in presenting their petitions to him (Luke 18:1-8).  If even an unjust judge listens to a widow’s petitions, how much more can we trust God to answer our prayers.  We can trust that God is listening.

3)      God does not keep an account of iniquities for those He has forgiven (Psalm 130:3-4) – When waiting for God to answer prayer, our thoughts of the past may turn to some past sin leading to the belief that this sin is why God has not answered us.  However, if we have asked God to forgive this sin, it is totally forgiven (1 John 1:9). 

4)      States his trust in God (Psalm 130:5-6) – The psalmist states that his hope is in the Word of God.  As he waits on the Lord, he meditates on the promises of God contained in the Word and places his hope in them and not his own solutions.  Before implementing our own solution out of impatience, we should instead trust God by placing our hope in the promises of His Word.

5)      We can place our trust in God for God loves us (Psalm 130:7-8) – God demonstrated His great love for us when he sent His only Son to forgive and not condemn our sins (John 3:16-17).  However, if we continue to reject and ignore this great demonstration of love through rejecting Jesus as our savior, we suffer condemnation due to our lack of trust in God for our redemption (John 3:18).  I therefore urge anyone reading this that has not taken this important first step of trust by trusting God with our salvation to do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations on taking this first step in learning to trust in God.  I now urge you and everyone else reading this, including the one writing this, to grow in their trust in God.  We accomplish this through consistent and continual practice of the spiritual disciplines of prayer, study and meditation on God’s Word, and association with others who have placed their trust in God.  My prayer is that all reading this will gain a greater trust in God.