Wait

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

and in His word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord

more than the watchmen wait for the morning,

more than the watchmen wait for the morning.” (Psalm 130:5)

After I had promised not to tell anyone, I told one of my sisters that our nephew’s wife was expecting her first baby. I drew the wrath of some of the rest of the family, and lost my credibility as a trustworthy sister and aunt. I couldn’t wait. When I read the words of the psalmist I knew that I had a long way to go before I could say with him, “I wait for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning.” Psalm 130 continues with amazing assertions about God: If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.”

Though these words were written long before the resurrection of Jesus, they express an absolute assurance of forgiveness in our God, as if the psalmist might have been one of the disciples who witnessed the risen Christ himself, for it is through Him that we receive the priceless gift of forgiveness: “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love, and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.”( Psalm 130:7&8)

The words of this psalm warmed my heart, and I felt as if I knew that all would be well. Of course the resolution was quite predictable, when my nephew’s wife delivered a lovely, healthy baby girl, my sin was wiped from everyone’s memory. This week the new family sent us a video of themselves with the newborn, and the joy was palpable.

The anticipation, the tension, the apprehension, before she came into the world, disappeared when she arrived. The many feedings, the loss of sleep, the diaper changing, all looked like pure joy and pleasure for this young couple. It was certainly a joy for me to watch.

With Christ there is indeed “full redemption.” It can’t be fully comprehended, but it can be believed, for the Old and New Testaments both extol this undeserved gift to all of us.

My slate ws wiped clean when the baby was born. When we wait on the Lord, we say with the psalmist, “With you, Lord, there is forgiveness.”

Love in Him,

Prue