Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (A song of ascents. Psalm 130)

Forgiveness

As the children of Israel went to Jerusalem each year, they sang various psalms as they ascended the hill to Zion. These psalms were hymns of praise extolling the grace of God, His abiding love for His people, the joy of going to the house of the Lord, and the relationship of a Father’s love for His children. Foremost among the themes is forgiveness. How can one come before the Lord God and not express praise for the joy of forgiveness? Worship helps to cleanse the soul of the dross of sin. Praising God in union with others strengthens the heart to fight against the wiles of the devil.

Sin overshadows the heart with the depth of darkness. There is no joy, no happiness, and hope when sin subdues the spirit. The joy of forgiveness is that from the depths of sin, God will hear the voice of the penitent. As the dispirited soul cries from the depths, God hears the shaken voice, listens to the frightful call of the fearful, and acknowledges the mournful supplications of the contrite. The reality of sin is that if God counted all the sins a man commits, there is no justification for the Lord to forgive. Who can stand before the great God and claim innocence? None! And yet God forgives the penitent heart that seeks the favor of the Lord. Fear drives one to seek the forgiveness of God. The fear of punishment and the fear of shame brought on by sin.

A prayer is offered to God asking for forgiveness. The quiet echoes the mercy of God as the answer of forgiveness is long for. Souls wait. Hope rises. The night of sorrow seems eternal longing for the sunlight of morning to dawn upon the darkened soul. Hope remains in the Lord. There is mercy with God and He is willing to give His mercy to those who repent and seek forgiveness. Abundant redemption is granted to all who come to the Father asking mercy. God will redeem the penitent from all his iniquities – not a few of them or certain ones – the Lord will remove sin as far as the east is from the west.

Forgiveness comes from a loving Father who knows the frame of man and that he is made of dust. No man has ever received the just reward for his sin, but God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to give the grace of forgiveness to a world that does not deserve it. The grace of God is without measure because the failings of men are unending. God forgives. He seeks those who come to Him asking to be made as hired servants, worthy of nothing. Wait for the Lord. Hope in the Lord. Watch for the forgiveness of God. It will come. There will be difficult days, but the mercy of God will come. God will forgive and the heart will be whole again. Thank you God for forgiveness. Mercy. Grace. Love. Compassion. Undeserved yet ready to be given.