Today's Meditation
Read Psalm 130
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.
This Psalm is known as one of 15 Songs of Ascent within the book of Psalms. Psalms 120-134 are all considered to be Songs of Ascent. These were the psalms that the Hebrews would recite, sing, or pray as part of their pilgrimage to Jerusalem or as they ascending Mt. Zion to worship God.
As we prepare to rejoin one another in corporate worship, maybe we too can use these Psalms in preparation for coming back together in worship. It can be our own pilgrimage back to our churches. There are very few psalms that repeat a line such as "more than those who watch for the morning" - but what does this mean and why do you think it was repeated?
"Those who watch for the morning" is a reference to the night guards who kept a vigilant eye on the night sky, waiting for the break of dawn to signal that a new day had come, that all was well with the people of God for yet another day, for them to rise and rejoice in the benevolence that God has provided. It was a tiresome task to wait through the long night and required great stamina to remain awake through the night and to guard the gates of the city. Why do you think the psalmist repeated it?
Our souls yearn and watch for the blessings and wonder of God. Where are you seeing God's blessings and wonder in your life?
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