Out of the Depths

Hear my voice

The New Revised Standard Version Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution

Save me, O God,

for the waters have come up to my neck.

Psalm 69:1 describes what Psalm 130 later brings to our attention concerning despair. I know that some of you have felt this at times. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ps 130:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Would you agree that having water up to your neck might be a place of deep despair and at least give us an idea of depth.

Have you ever had a nightmare? Nightmares can seem very real and could very well be a reflection of your life. When I was a young boy I used to have nightmares about something being under my bed,, or in the closet. As a small boy I seemed to fear the unknown. When you have a vivid nightmare a person can cry out for someone to save them. Lord, hear my voice! Life in general can be a distraction from realizing that we are drowning. I can remember the years of schooling to become an Ordained Elder as being a time of suffocating fear. Will I succeed or shall I fail. Many times I prayed to God that he would hear my prayers of need.

The New Revised Standard Version Waiting for Divine Redemption

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my supplications!

The next verse claims that God will supply our needs and not count our shortcomings against us. If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,

Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you,

so that you may be revered.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ps 130:3–4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

This idea of marked could be a little hard to understand, but I like to think of it as painting the fence a bright red color and everyone who drives by notices the fence. The Lord does not paint our sins a bright color so that everyone notices them. In fact the Bible tells us that God forgives our sin as far as the East is from the West.

The New Revised Standard Version Waiting for Divine Redemption

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

more than those who watch for the morning,

more than those who watch for the morning.

This portion of the Psalm is difficult for most. I have a previous congregant who had a husband who was dying from Acute Leukemia. I often prayed for patience to wait for the Lord to do a healing for him. Linda would get mad at me for praying that prayer. There comes a time when we have to understand that we all shall die, but healing comes to those who wait. Healing may not come in this life, but it will come in the next life.

IN the Old Testament a watchman stood watch in the watchtower for the chance that the enemy might come at any time during the night. When you are the watchman nothing looks better than the morning.

The closing of this Psalm is directing us towards hope. This hope is directional. In this directional what I mean is where we put our trust or hope is important. O Israel, hope in the LORD!

For with the LORD there is steadfast love,

and with him is great power to redeem.

It is he who will redeem Israel

from all its iniquities.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ps 130:7–8). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.