Psalm 130 (NIV)
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
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.
I wait for the Lord
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.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
Devotion
At the start of 2020, I noticed a pretty substantial shift in the inspirational language used at my gym. Instead of setting a resolution, they were encouraging us to set an intention. I loved that – it wasn’t about a new “me,” which is quite daunting, but celebrating that you are enough. Most of my intentions are probably like everyone else’s – eating right, exercising more, being more patient in line at the grocery store. But, through prayer and worship, I realized that the intention that would have the most impact on my life is to turn to God in my everyday life.
Psalm 130 says “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption,” and “If you, Lord, keep a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness….”
When I am flooded – with impatience, fear, anger, hurt, you name it – turning to God is the most comforting. But sometimes it’s not easy to do – sometimes I have to be intentional about it. “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” These are words I will take with me through this Easter season and beyond. Because God sent Jesus to us, we no longer need to be afraid, and in this world filled with so much to be worried about, that is the comfort and strength we all need.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for showing us the way, for leading us onto level ground, and for saving us, each and every day. Through your grace, we learn how to care for others and through your love, we continue to face the huge challenges of our time. In your name we pray, Amen.
Deirdre Ramsey