Psalm 130:5-6, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; yes, more than the watchmen for the morning.”
A desire for newness isn’t new. I’ve often resolved to change the chorus and tempo of my life by adding new serving opportunities or cutting previous activities when I’ve allowed too much to fill my plate. I’ve even looked to ministry moves as a fresh start, allowing me to begin again with no off-key historical renditions echoing in every movement. Yet, my score repeatedly builds to a disappointing crescendo.’
Barely a month into the new calendar year, and a familiar refrain of chaos, uncertainty, and instability plays. This calendar year has provided another beginning filled with lyrics I’m not eager to sing. The sorrowful melody resounds. This isn’t the triumphant victory I prayed for, but maybe there is room for a reflective score in God’s opera.
Psalm 130 is one of 15 psalms found from chapters 120-134 marked as The Psalms of Ascent or the Pilgrim Songs. The people sang these songs to prepare their hearts to worship God. That’s not hard to understand. We also sing songs to prepare our hearts for worship. Singing gives words to our deeply felt emotions and readies us to meet with God.
Waiting
In Psalm 130:5-6, the psalmist mentions waiting four times. There are different ways to wait. We can wait with expectation and excitement like a child counting down the days until a big event. We can wait with impatience as if we are just putting in time, like a prisoner waiting for release. We can wait with dread, like a student waiting for the results of an exam they know they’ve bombed. We can wait with hopeful expectation, not sure how things will be resolved but anticipative of a positive outcome.
The psalmist writes about a specific kind of waiting when he writes, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord …” Note how his circumstances didn’t change immediately following an earlier declaration of certainty in God and His forgiveness (v4). The Psalmist doesn’t write of being lifted from the depths referenced in verse one; he writes of waiting. Yet, the tone in these verses is far more optimistic than the beginning of the psalm. If his circumstances didn’t change, what did?
Look closer at verse 6, “My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; yes, more than the watchmen for the morning.” The psalmist is not just seeking relief from his despair. The psalmist is seeking the Lord. It is this pursuit of God that changes him. His hope is certain, just like the watchman is certain that after the darkest hour of the night, the morning is coming, the psalmist is even more certain in the Lord. We have that certainty. Our God is more reliable than the sunrise after a dark night.
Wait with Patience
While we wait for a year different from before, have our eyes latched onto a diagnosis, uncertainty, or fear? There is a truth presented in Psalm 130 that we can put on like a life jacket. Even if our circumstances never improve, we change when we fix our eyes on our Eternal Protector. And we don’t wait like a prisoner putting in time; we don’t wait with dread. We wait on God with patient and certain hope.
We can patiently wait for God in full confidence because He croons a melody that never changes. While we wait on Him, He puts a new song in our mouths, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:3).
God is composing new morning mercies. All creation sings of His glory. Lonely notes build urgency. Hearts bang out victory as He puts a new song in the mouths of His people. The melodic line moves His people so we can sing our praises to Him and tell of His wondrous works despite uncertainty, chaos, or fear. Be patient. God is working while you wait.
If we tune our ears to the song this concerto proclaims, we see a new heaven and new earth await. Today’s lonely melody preludes tomorrow’s victory. The longing of our hearts and the upheaval of nations prove that this earth was never meant to be our victory song. One day, those who believe will join the angels in heaven and sing for all eternity of God’s great faithfulness. We will sing our songs of repentance and dependence on Christ. We will sing with endless joy the song of the redeemed.
Until then, sing your song with patient hope.
Sing of the mercies God’s given for this new year. Sing to your God, who is worthy to be praised. Sing to Him because you are His, known by name and redeemed. “For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption,” Psalm 130:7. The Lord is our strength and song. He is our salvation. This is our God. Learn this song and sing. Sing to the Lord. Praise His name and magnify Him with thanksgiving. Sing to the Lord while you patiently wait for Him to act.
