I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope (v. 5, ESV).
The Bible is about hope. Despair is the opposite of hope. The entirety of Psalm 130 asks, “Can we find hope in the midst of our despair?”
Is there a hope that will not fail us?
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! (v. 1)
The Apostle Paul writes about a hope that will not disappoint (Romans 5:5). The hope of Scripture isn’t modest but super-filling. It’s not lukewarm but vibrant and satisfying.
The difference between having true or false hope depends on where we find our hope.
I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn (v. 6, NLT).
Hope is desire. What do we long for?
We want eternity, loving relationships, love, and peace. What a miserable existence having these needs with no legitimate hope for fulfillment. Consider hunger without food, thirst without water, sickness without medicine—or sin without forgiveness, broken relationships without healing, and death without eternity.
This is the question of Psalm 130, “Is the hope of the Bible legitimate?”
O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption (v. 7, ESV).
The answer is yes.
Our hope isn’t found in the natural but in the supernatural. Everything in the world will decay and disappoint, but Jesus is supernatural, coming into this world as God in the flesh.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:3-4, ESV).
Hope isn’t found in politics, a new diet, money, education, or even a satisfying relationship—all of which will perish. Our hope is in the “living God” who will never fail us.
As Psalm 130 concludes:
And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities (v. 8).
Redemption restores hope. Despair is rooted in our sin. Disappointing brokenness brings anxiety, fear, and anger. And we despair because our attempts to fix things consistently fail.
Jesus will redeem us from our iniquities—hope reborn.
Amen. Peace out!