Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord

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

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.

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.

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.
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Psalm 130 has been designated by Martin Luther and others as one of seven penitential psalms. It is assigned as the psalm for this coming Sunday, the fifth and last Sunday in Lent.  Verses one and two remind us to be aware of the gravity of sin in our lives.  It is so easy to go along through life thinking we're not so bad. One purpose of Lent is to remind us that we are.  Verses three and four go on to extol the mercy of our loving God.  What an awesome and wonderful God we have who not only forgives our sins, but doesn't keep count.  It says elsewhere, that He doesn't remember our sins. As I close, I quote verses 7 and 8 of Psalm 130:  “O Israel (and we are the new 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.”   

Hallelujah, what a Savior!