NearnessNäide

A few years ago, my wife had a heart attack. It wasn’t a dramatic moment, and we easily made it to the hospital in time. There were a myriad of tests, a flurry of activity overnight and then after 13 hours, she was wheeled into the operating theatre.

All of a sudden, I was alone with our 2 month old son in a quiet room. It was only then that the emotions overwhelmed me and I broke down in tears.

Psalm 130 perfectly encapsulates how I felt in that moment. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD…” (Psalm 130:1, ESV). This isn’t a neat, polished prayer. It’s raw, like Jonah in the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:1) or Peter weeping after denying Jesus (Luke 22:62). It’s the kind of cry that knows only God can hear and understand.

The psalmist anchors their hope not in personal righteousness, but in God’s mercy: “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins… who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3, NIV) This echoes Paul’s writing in Romans “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV) God is not waiting for us to get it together to act—He meets us immediately in our despair.

The Psalm also repeats the word wait, reminding us that restoration takes time. But it’s not passive waiting—it’s trusting expectation. Just as the morning always comes, so does God’s redeeming love.

Maybe you are going through a valley right now. Or, perhaps things are going well and it is a season of rejoicing. Wherever you are, be reassured that God is there. He hears our prayers. He sees us where we are. And He loves us.

Today, ponder this: Is there somewhere in your life that you are waiting for God’s mercy to break through? Commit these areas in prayer to God, knowing that He hears our cry from the depths.