Out Of The Depths...a Meditation of Psalm 130 pt 1

https://billrandles.wordpress.com/2021/03/07/out-of-the-depths-i-cry-psalm-130-a-meditation/ ^ | 03-05-21 | Bill Randles

[pastorbillrandles]

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. ( Psalm 130:1-2)

“Out of the Depths…” is where this Psalm commences.

I have no doubt that this meditation comes to many of you, who are currently “in the depths”, due to various sorrowful and painful circumstances. We are often overwhelmed, by debt, discouragement, ill health, disappointed hope, betrayal, addiction… I could go on an on and list the many sorrows and burdens we are prone to in this sad and broken world.

It feels at times as though we are treading water in a stormy sea.

The “Depths” is is a recurring image in the Bible, especially in the Psalms, where the Psalmist is experiencing deep distress, terror and despair, such as ,

He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. (Psalm 18:16)

and

I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.( Psalm 69:2)

Where do you turn when you feel this way? Metaphorically speaking, ( or perhaps literally) not being able to get a foothold, weighed down with mire, deep waters and waves, where do we turn?

We look up! This is what real prayer amounts to, the upward look, and the desperate cry to God who is above.

“…I cried unto thee Oh Lord…”. God is there with you, even in all of your distresses. He, is a HE, a person, “I” cry to “Thee”, we can always resort to Him.

This is the meaning of the “sea stories” in the Gospels, where the disciples of Jesus were sent out into the sea of Galilee, into tremendous storms, which terrified them, although they were accomplished professional fishermen. Jesus was there with them in the boat.

Jesus is with you, dear believer. It may not seem so, but He is there with you. In one instance in the gospel story, Jesus slept in the boat as the disciples battled the storm,

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.( Mark 4:36-39)

There is an eschatological aspect to these stories as well, for we are all kind of being led into the stormy distress of the last days, and need to know that Jesus is with us. John’s account of a sea storm has this line in it,

And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. (John 6:16-17)

We are all waiting for Jesus to come, and it is getting dark, windy and a little choppy. The distress will only increase, but we should know, that Jesus is watching us, and will come to us at just the right time.

Cry unto Him. Really and truly call out upon God for help and for peace. There are a good many who have never known what it really means to cry out to God with all of their hearts. Look up to Him, open your soul and cry out in the sense of need and even desperation… we need God.

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. ( Psalm 107:23-29)

This Psalm is calling all of us to this kind of spirituality, to true prayer based on a sense of utter need. This Psalm is the Word of God, therefore it is a message from God himself, He will hear your cry, He will listen to your supplication, you will find help from him in the time of need.

Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

It may comfort you to know that when our Savior Jesus came into this world, he fully tasted death in all of it’s many forms, that he might know by experience what it is like to be us… When he underwent the suffering which culminated in the cross, the prophets described it in just these terms,

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. (Psalm 69:1-4) He cried out in anguished desperation to God also… He knows what you are suffering, Jesus cares.

[left that other site]

Amen.

[sauropod]

Bkmk