A Word from Psalm 130

Especially as we approach Independence Day, I’m confident that you’ll recognize these words:

O say, can you see by the dawn's early light
what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Naturally, that is The Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem, which was written by Francis Scott Key. He waited through a long and difficult night, as the British were bombing Fort McHenry in Baltimore. But he saw, in the morning, that the enemy had not prevailed.

Now, I mention that because today’s word from Psalm 130 tells a similar story. One of God’s poets was surrounded by trouble. And so, he cried out:

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning. (130:5-6)

And just like Francis Scott Key, the psalmist also discovered that the morning brought good news. And so, he declared:

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

for with the Lord is unfailing love

and with Him is full redemption. (130:7)

Obviously, I hope that you’re not waiting through a dark night right now. But if you aren’t, someday you will. And if you are, I hope you’ll remember that “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5)

So, may the light dawn in our hearts today. And may we share that light with others. Amen.