Psalm 130 NRSV
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
2     Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my supplications!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
   Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
    so that you may be revered.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;

6 my soul waits for the Lord
    more than those who watch for the morning,
    more than those who watch for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is great power to redeem.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel
    from all its iniquities.                                          

Reflection:
This psalm will always have a special place in my heart. I use a daily prayer book, and each evening prayer starts with the first lines of this psalm, “Out of the Depths I cry to you. O Lord, Hear my Voice.” These words have become a part of my normal prayer life in times of distress and pain. A couple of years ago, I suffered an accident in which I fell and badly injured myself. In my first moments on the ground, the first thing that popped in my head were these words, and I could not help but chuckle to myself at the fact that I was literally able to cry out to God from the depths. I take heart in the fact that every time I read these cries, I am participating in centuries of those who were vulnerable enough to cry out to God as they looked up from their depths, trusting that God would hear them.

My favorite verses in this psalm, however, are verses five and six. The repetition not only symbolizes a sense of urgency but also a sense of hope. What might it look like for you to depend and wait on God to hear and heed your cries, just like those who expect the sun to rise the next day? On our list of things in this world that are reliable, the fact that we can trust that the sun will rise the next day is probably the highest. When we join in the psalmist’s prayer, we are declaring faith in a God who will show up and meet us in our depths. 

Maybe you feel like you are crying to God from the depths of stress, illness, or isolation. If you are, join in with the cries of this psalm and wait for the Lord—more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.

Closing Prayer:
Gracious and Loving God, in this midst of uncertainty, help me to look up from the depths and cry out to you. I put my trust in you because I know that you will listen and come meet me where I am, especially when I am stuck in distress. I pray all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.