The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 poems, hymns, and songs originating from worship in ancient Israel. Throughout history, church fathers and Bible scholars have classified individual psalms into various categories according to their content, theme, and structure. One grouping known as the penitential psalms shares the key feature of expressing penitence—the psalmist’s sorrow over sin and spiritual failure.

There are seven penitential psalms:
Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; and 143. In each, the author acknowledges or confesses his trespass before the Lord and recognizes his need for God’s favor and forgiveness. The penitential psalms make fitting prayers for the repentant sinner.

People experience depths of poverty, sorrow, confusion, and pain. Yet the depth that the psalmist cried from here was the depth of the awareness and guilt of sin (Psalm 130:3). Many have been spiritually drowned in these depths.

Guilt is the action of what you have done, and shame is the voice you hear after.

“Self-help is no answer to the depths of distress, however useful it may be in the shallows of self-pity.”

What we have is a society that has absolved themselves of all guilt but are still covered up with shame.

Where is your hope, Really?
The psalmist put his faith and hope in the Lord Himself, not in the mercy or redemption God would bring. He looked to the Giver before the gift.

How we wait? We wait Expectantly!
The waiting was not passive or inactive. The psalmist used the time to actively set his hope upon God’s promises, revealed in His word.