Read: Psalm 103:1-4; Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. (Ps. 130:1)
In Psalm 130, the psalmist speaks for all of us. We have all found ourselves crying out to God from the depths, out of the pit. Life holds many different pits into which we may and do tumble. Depression, chronic sickness or pain, financial struggles, relationship breakdowns, family problems, feelings of failure or guilt—as we used to say, “It’s the pits!” But don’t give up hope. “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope . . . For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption” (vv. 5, 7).
In the Old Testament, the deepest, darkest, final pit is Sheol, the shadowy realm of the dead in which no praise was possible (115:17) and from which no return was expected (39:13). Psalm 103:4 gives a glimmer of light for those in Sheol. The promise points to the hope that God will redeem them from that ultimate pit as well. Psalm 16:10 makes the light shine even brighter: “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.”
The apostle Peter quoted this verse in his sermon on the day of Pentecost. Jesus wasn’t finally abandoned in death. He was raised in triumph, vindicated, transformed, glorified. No pit could hold him, and because of that, no pit can hold us either. For all who are in Christ, the pit of the grave is just a temporary resting place for our bodies, as we await our final, full redemption.
As you pray, hold on to the hope Jesus offers.
David Bast is a writer and pastor who served for 23 years as the President and Broadcast Minister for Words of Hope. In his more than 40 years of devotional writing and preaching, he has been encouraging believers around the world to be shaped by God and his Word.
Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he is the author of nine devotional books and Bible studies, including God of My Days,Why Doesn't God Act More Like God,Christ in the Psalms, andA Gospel for the World.
Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and eight grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
