FATHER, I STRETCH MY HANDS TO THEE-PSALM 130

(1). Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;(2) O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

1.Has there been a time when you've cried out to God? Have you ever just "stretched" out your hands to God in prayer? This was something that the psalmist did. Here, he offers up a prayer for help and mercy. Here, he cries out to the Lord from the depths of pain and hurt. When in your life have you done this? When have you just lifted up your voice and stretched out your hands to God in prayer? Throughout the Christian journey, there will be times when we will lift up our voices and stretch out our hands to God. Have you ever had a time in your life when you've asked God to reach down and pull you up? We all need the hand of God to reach down and to pull us up. SeeLam.3:55-57, Psalm 142:5, Psalm 69:2

2. The pslamist asks God to be attentive to his prayer. There are some people who believe that God does not hear nor does He answer prayer. When you pray, when you call out, do you believe that God is attentive to your prayer? Because God does not always give the desired response, some people conclude that God has turned a deaf ear towards them.Psalm 27:7, Psalm 28:2, Psalm 28:6, Psalm 140:6

3. The psalmist sought the mercy of God in his prayer. Where do we turn to find both mercy and peace? The pslamist turned to God, because he knew that in God, he would find mercy. See Psalm 103:8,13.The pslamist's cry was the cry of one who was in deep pain. He stretched forth his hands and cried out, "O Lord, have mercy!" Is this our cry to the Lord as well? Do we look to the Lord for both mercy and peace?

(3)If you,O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? (4)But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

4. What if God kept a record of all of our sins? What would that record look like? What if God called us to account for every single sin that we commit, could we stand before Him? God knows our every transgression, does He act upon the record? Why not? When we truly examine ourselves, we see that we sin daily. We cannot stand before a holy and righteous God. All that we can do is to confess our sins and seek God's forgiveness. See, Psalm 32:5, 38:18

5. Now the psalmist speaks words of gospel.He tells us where we can find the forgiveness for sin. In God, there is forgiveness. God made forgiveness possible through the death and resurrection of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ, we have forgiveness and renewal. This is good news that lifts the burden of sin, and gives peace to the troubled heart. This creates a new sense of joy and peace in the heart. There is no other refuge for the troubled sinner than in God, and in the forgiveness that comes through faith in Christ.

6. What did the psalmist mean when he wrote; "That you maybe feared?" The word "fear" would mean to honor and hold in awe. We hold God in awe, because He is great and powerful. Those who do not believe in him, do not honor nor fear Him.

(5) I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.(6) My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7. The Psalmist says that "he waits on the Lord." What does it mean to "wait on the Lord?" It means to trust and have patience in the Lord. May we learn to wait on the Lord. Let our souls wait on the Lord to fufill all of His good things for us. Never grow weary in waiting on the Lord. See Psalm 27;14. When we wait on the Lord, we leave all things into His gracious care.

8. The psalmist said, "my soul waits." Our souls wait upon the Lord with expectation. Such a waiting is expressed in Psalm 5:3, Psalm 37:7, and Psalm 40:1.

9. The psalmist wrote; "And in His Word, I hope." In this earthly journey, we'll need to be strengthened in hope. We will find this strength in the Word. We place our faith and hope in the one who has promised to be with us through out the journey. With such a hope, we can wait on the Lord.

10. Now the psalmist wrote; "My soul waits for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning." Like watchmen, we are always looking and waiting. our souls always watch for the Lord and for all that He has for us. We make the journey with a sense of watchfulness and expectation. Our eyes are fixed towards the Lord, and we await His coming. We look for all of His blessings. See Psalm 123:2. From morning to night, always remain watchful. The old sinful man does not look the Lord. The new man in Christ daily looks and waits for Him.

(7) O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love. (8) He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

11.The psalmist urges us to put our hope in the Lord. As we press on in the journey, let us do so in hope. A hope that is not built on worldly things, but is built on faith. See Psalm 25:5, Psalm 71:14. No matter what happens, let us continue to press on in hope. Let us never lose our hope and faith.

12. Why should we put our hope in the Lord? The psalmist wrote that with the Lord, there is unfailing love. God's love is faithful, and His mercy is everlasting. He daily and richly pours out His love on us through faith in Jesus Christ.

13. With God, there is redemptation. Redemption that comes to us through the cross of Jesus Christ. It is the answer to our problem with sin. Through faith, we have the blessings of redemption. Through Christ, God provided redemption for His people.
See Psalm 111:9.

14. As you read this psalm, does it give you strength for the journey? Think about the insights that you have gained from this psalm. Daily thank God for showing you mercy, and granting you forgiveness through faith in Christ.