All gave some. Some Gave All. Lest we forget.

Daily Devotional Sunday 6th October 2024

by William Moody

Psalms 129–131

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of Ascents.

129:1   “Greatly1 have they afflicted me from my youth”—
    let Israel now say—
  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
    yet they have not prevailed against me.
  The plowers plowed upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
  The LORD is righteous;
    he has cut the cords of the wicked.
  May all who hate Zion
    be put to shame and turned backward!
  Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
    which withers before it grows up,
  with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
  nor do those who pass by say,
    “The blessing of the LORD be upon you!
    We bless you in the name of the LORD!”

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

130:1   Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
    O Lord, hear my voice!
  Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
  If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
  But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.
  I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
  my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.
  O Israel, hope in the LORD!
    For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
  And he will redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

131:1   O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
  I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
  But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
  O Israel, hope in the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Footnotes

[1] 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2

(ESV)

Psalm 130 begins with terrible words of despair (v1-2). It is wonderful to know that in our darkest moments that God desires and can deal wonderfully with our pleas of mercy.

The trial that the Psalmist is going through may be a spiritual one due to his sin because he finds hope in God’s mercy and forgiveness with sin (v3-4). The darkest depths we can ever sink to in this life, are because of sin and only the mercy and grace of God can lift us, not our own meagre efforts.

This trying situation is like going through a dark night as a watchman waiting for an attack in the darkness (v5-6). The coming of the Lord into our darkness is like the rising of the sun when everything will appear very differently and much more hopeful.

Until that moment of deliverance comes the Psalmist places his hope in god’s word and His great promises (v5b). In dire situations the promises of God need to override our feelings if we are to have hope.

The Psalm finishes with a great note of hope and confidence which he wants others to share in as well (v7-8). Has grace touched your life like this?

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.