Verses: Psalm 130Sample

Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents.

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

While Psalm 130 is a fairly well-known psalm, it can be easy to forget that it is a part of the collection of psalms known as the Songs of Ascents (or Degrees). Three times a year, Jewish worshipers would sing through this playlist on their way to Jerusalem to worship and Psalm 130 was one of the songs on their “pilgrim’s playlist.” It was on this journey that they remembered they were part of a greater story. Year after year, the rhythm was there for them whether it was a time of joy or sorrow. These songs would take on new meanings throughout their lives as they would sing them as they made their trek to the Temple.

Many Christians would say as they come into church, “Leave your burdens at the door.” Not Psalm 130! It says just the opposite: “Bring your burdens through the door!” Psalm 130:1 begins with these words: “Out of the depths…” It begins where we truly are, not where we wish we were. What a freeing thought! You don’t have to fake a smile or pretend that you’re in a good mood and trouble-free before God. Psalm 130 starts in the depths and in the pitch black.

We don’t merely exist in the depths, but rather Psalm 130 teaches us that the depths can become a school and classroom for prayer. “Out of the depths, I cry to you, O LORD!” Our valleys can transform into sanctuaries! It’s from the depths that we cry out to God. Spurgeon commented, “…prayer is never more real and acceptable than when it rises out of the worst places. Deep places beget deep devotion.” Call to God from the deep places you find yourself in! Ask God for the grace to meet Him wherever you are today. What unspoken prayer might be formed in your heart from the pit or place you’re currently in? Allow God to expand your vocabulary.

Meditate

• Read - Read the whole of Psalm 130 a couple of times out loud; once you’re done with that, zero in on verses 1-2 and re-read those.
• Pray - In your journal, write out verses 1-2. The intention here is to slow down with the passage and linger in it. What words or phrases jump out at you? Turn those observations into a prayer for your day. Try writing these verses in your own words.
• Sing - Listen to and/or sing Psalm 130:1-2 by Aaron Strumpel and Hannah Glavor below. As you’re able to throughout your day, try to listen to the song a few times on our Verses app or your digital streaming platform of choice.