Informal Worship: "Overflowing Supply"

Sunday February 1st 2009 - 6:00pm

Bible Reference: Psalm 130

Psalm 130 is one of probably seven Penitential Psalms - which have a pattern of confessing sin and stating a desire to return to God. What these seven Psalms all have in common is that they are the cries from the heart of an individual: a person who is in dire need of help from God is calling out for him to help. 

We can probably all find ourselves in this Psalm, identifying with someone who felt the need for forgiveness and healing and who at times felt far from God.

I think the point has been well made that many of our hymns and worship songs lack what the psalmists knew about distress or lament. And in this Psalm the writer is in deep despair; alienated from God – and not holding back in expressing this sense of aloneness. We all probably find that it doesn’t take much for us to feel that God is not there. Long-term illness, job losses, problems with relationships, when we make wrong decisions, when we outright sin – and blow it - there’s a feeling of alienation from God and no sense of his presence.

From the depths of despair, the psalmist prays for two things: that the Lord would pay attention to his cry; and that he would be merciful. His overall self esteem may have been pretty low at the time he prayed this prayer because of the mental state of the Jews after they returned from captivity in Babylon. And the poetic image is important: intense sorrow was often compared to being in deep waters or a pit or the depths of despair.

What can we get out of this first part of the Psalm? - That we can turn to the Lord, without holding anything back, and ask for his attention and help. Many of us wait until we’ve exhausted all other means before we seek God; before we get ourselves in front of him & seek his face.

(STORY): A woman once asked her husband to pray for her. His response was, “Oh, has it come to that?”
I’ve heard some people say, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask God for anything for myself. I pray for other people because it would be selfish.” But the Scriptures say: “YOU come boldly that YOU may receive help in time of need.” (as Hebrews 4:16 says). Whoever’s writing the psalm did exactly that; realizing that it was only God who could bring forgiveness from sins. Mind you some people try to make out that they are so good that they don’t need him for anything.

But that’s not the pattern in the Scriptures.  Jeremiah the prophet found himself down a deep hole; Daniel in a den of lions. It’s a good legacy that encourages us all to call to God to prevent us sinking any lower and to get us out of the pit we’re in.

I love Psalm 40:1,2 when David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry and lifted me out of the slimy pit.”  Oof!! ‘been there – as they say – got the tee shirt

It’s a fact that sometimes the “father of lies” (which is one of the titles for the devil) - causes us to see God as very harsh and ready to punish us for every little thing - and that we worship him in order to appease him so he doesn’t hurt us--out of FEAR of punishment. I think I laboured for many years under that lie – and a lie it is – and we probably all know the kind of questionable theology that loses sight of how God proved his love to us – in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) The word used in this Psalm for LORD is YAHWEH – that’s  the personal name of Israel’s God who is full of MERCY – it’s that word again: hesed – perhaps better translated as steadfast love; or lovingkindness

So we approach God on the basis of what he has disclosed about himself, not our own strange and often wayward ideas about him.

We don’t wait apathetically and say, “Que sera, sera, (sing it with me) whatever will be will be.”
This Psalm describes an ACTIVE KIND OF WAITING.
 “My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.” And he repeats this phrase, “more than those who watch for the morning.” (always take note when the psalms repeat things)

I was struck by the curious use of tense when my late friend Caroline used to pray for people up in Oxford. Lord I thank you that you ‘would’…and she’d often prayscriptural promises – with confidence.
ACTIVELY waiting – is that a contradiction in terms?
 
Psalm 103:3,4 says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

Then why do we wonder, “What if he doesn’t? What if he won’t do it for me? What if he won’t hear me? What if it isn’t his will? But then that’s all about us.

He will/does not only hear me, but answers me. I think we need to ‘hear’ this tonight – get it deep within us. Some of us have been praying for our families and loved ones for a long time or waiting for healing to come for a long time. And here’s the promise: that help is on the way just as sure as morning comes after the night.

And it isn’t just a concept. The Psalmist brings it closer to home when he says, “O Israel… You can put your name there – O Ian, hope in the Lord - for with him there is unfailing love - with him there is overflowing power to redeem; to rescue us from all the stuff that traps us..

Why does he do this? Because he loves us with an everlasting and unfailing love.

Psalm 130 (New Living Translation)

 1 From the depths of despair, O Lord,
      I call for your help.
 2 Hear my cry, O Lord.
      Pay attention to my prayer.

 3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,
      who, O Lord, could ever survive?
 4 But you offer forgiveness,
      that we might learn to fear you.

 5 I am counting on the Lord;
      yes, I am counting on him.
      I have put my hope in his word.
 6 I long for the Lord
      more than sentries long for the dawn,
      yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;
      for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
      His redemption overflows.
 8 He himself will redeem Israel
      from every kind of sin