Daily Devotion – March 28, 2020 – Pastor Erick Thompson
Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
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.
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.
If you are like me, the novelty of being at home for the foreseeable future is beginning to wear off. My family is trying to settle into a new routine and new reality. And, there are parts that I like: I love that I can see my family throughout the day. I don’t have to walk more than about 20 feet and there they are. Yet, there are also parts that are frustrating. I liked being able to go to my office and have uninterrupted time, and now it’s hard to carve out an entire hour. I enjoyed spending time with my co-workers and the members who would stop by during the day. The adjustment has been both good and hard at the same time.
What I have learned though, is that now more than ever I need to rely upon my faith and hope in God. The psalm above reflects some of what I am feeling, and what gives me hope. I love how the psalmist starts in lament: a voice crying out to be heard. It is so important for all of us to begin daily prayer and devotions right now! We are in a situation that we have never faced before, and we don’t know what the outcome will be. It is in these moments that we need to reach out to God. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!”
And, I resonate with the second half of the psalm as a strategy going forward. We must hope in God’s word. If you haven’t already spent some time in prayer and devotions, I encourage you to start now. I encourage you to let your soul wait for the Lord, because it is only in the grace and love of God that we will be able to find hope; confidence in God’s presence in our time of change and despair. In God we will find an optimism that will support us during our moments of learning to adapt to our new reality. It is in this hope that we will find the energy to embrace each new day, knowing that our God is with us always.
Prayer: Loving Christ, feed our souls with your love and grace during these days. If we are hurting, console us and help us to see your presence in our lives, so that we may find hope in you. Amen.
