"Out of the depths I call to you, LORD!" vs1

Believers do have depths. We have lows, and we have the valleys of sin. We have temptations, dangers, and frustrations. We deal with disappointments and defeat. We have ungodly neighbors and spouses. Even our children grieve us. We mourn the sin of those who are perishing, if we’re not dealing with our own selves. Again and again, we deal with the frustration of not being as holy or as we thought. We see how little we love God, how little we love others, and how much we serve ourselves. We have trials, conflicts, and God’s grace is the only thing that sees us through.

Call upon the Lord in the depths. That’s what the Psalmist did. Call upon him when things look bleak. Don’t give up believing. Don’t say, “I’m not satisfied. I’ll pursue sin.” Use this time of distress to TURN BACK to the Lord. He will hear you, though you’ve failed. You’ve spit in his face, but he’ll wipe it off and forgive you. He’ll give you strength to honor, serve, and obey him. He’ll give the abundant life that you need, and your worthiness has nothing to do with it; it is free grace because of Christ.

Secondly, if God marked our sins - if there was no grace, mercy, and forgiveness - then there’d be no hope. Psalm 130:3 - "LORD, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” Therefore, confess your sins freely.

He knows that we are sinners, and there’s no good in us. He knows that he must do everything - must be gracious, must give us eternal life, and he must forgive us, if there’ll ever be a relationship. He’s not requiring us to be perfect, nor is he counting on us being better than we are. He forgives and loves sinners. He gives the kingdom to sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15 - "This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" ​-- ​and I am the worst of them."

We ought to have the warmest, fullest, and freest relationship with God. Come to him constantly. Never be disappointed because of yourself, and never stay away. God’s not surprised by what you’ve done, nor grossed out by what you see about yourself. He saw it all long ago, and atoned for it at Calvary. He saw all of our wanderings and waverings. He saw us full of evil, when he loved us, and predestined us to Paradise. 1 John 4:10 - "Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins."

Don’t be afraid. Believe God, though you are a sinner. Believe him though you see hypocrisy in yourself. Believe him, though you don’t love God as much as you thought. Believe him, though you don’t care much about people. Trust him to heal you, and cleanse you. Trust him to do you good for Christ’s sake!

Thirdly, hope in his word. Psalm 130:5 - "I wait for the LORD; I wait and put my hope in his word.” Trust the promises, and the finished work of Christ. Believe his commands, and heed his warnings. Know that God is right, as he gives us instruction, and he’s worthy to be obeyed fully. Know that you can trust him to work in you what is pleasing in his sight, and put your confidence in the Lord that it’s the BEST THING for you. Hebrews 13:21 - "may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he work in you, through the Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen." Trust him that joy will be found where he says, and a clean conscience is worth all the world. Trust him, when you see Christ in the Scriptures. Know that the message is about him, and his word of grace. Do not reject forgiveness, help, and mercy, which are clearly taught in Scripture, simply because you are unworthy. Read the whole counsel of God, and see salvation is only for the unworthy, and strength is for the helpless. Trust him, though he reproves you. He is right, and if we bow, then we’ll get mercy to help us overcome sin, rather than condemnation to destroy us.

In everything, God’s word is the believers ONLY hope and refuge. We can’t trust people, and we can’t trust ourselves. We can’t trust money, nor can we rely on our health. We can’t trust our own wisdom, and we’re foolish to walk contrary to God’s commands. We trust God’s word, and we are safe, wise, and rewarded. This is the way of faith; it is leaning upon our Beloved in the greatest difficulty or the most joyously thankful moments.