The psalmist calls himself and his people to wait for the Lord patiently in hope of what He had promised them. It is also a prayer to God for mercy for the sins they committed. He believes God will be merciful to them in His steadfast love.

In verses 1-2, he cries out from the bottom of his heart for God to hear his pleas to Him. He pleads with God to give attention to what he was asking from Him. He was asking God to show mercy in His dealings with them.

There is a sense of desperation in his cries to God for mercy. It is sincere and honest. It is impromptu and not rehearsed, unlike the prayers we hear from those who pray in public gatherings. Our prayers to God must be from the heart, and not just the mouth or the mind.

In verses 3-4, he said that if God were to count the sins he had committed, he would not be able to stand before Him. But the fact that he could stand before Him to plead for mercy is because God is forgiving and merciful. He must be feared.

No one is worthy of God’s love. We stand condemned by our sins if not for His grace and mercy to us. Therefore, we must fear Him and seek His forgiveness for the sins we have committed. If God is to hold them against us, we will be damned in eternity. But in His mercy, He is willing to forgive us of our sins if we accept Jesus as our personal Savior.

Praise the Lord and live for Him, and not in sin!

In verses 5-6, he describes faith and hope in God as waiting for the Lord and trusting Him to fulfill the promises of His word. He declares that his soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen waiting for the sun to rise, and the morning to come. The Lord is to be trusted. We must put our faith in Him, and our hope is in His promises.

Seek eagerly and earnestly for the Lord to fulfill His promises. Let us wait patiently and expectantly for them to be fulfilled, like the watchmen wait for the morning to arrive. Do not take matters into our own hands or use our resources trying to resolve whatever we are facing. Fear Him and have faith as we hope in Him!

In verses 7-8, he calls the nation of Israel to join Him to place their hope in the steadfast love of the Lord. He will redeem them from their sins. There is a sense of confidence and certainty in his call to Israel, as he believes that God will deliver them from their destruction.

Do we have such a sense of confidence and certainty in God’s promises that we can call others to put our hope in the Lord like the psalmist did? I pray that we have such faith and hope in the Lord we worship.

Prayer:

Lord, grant me faith and hope in you to save and help me in my times of desperation and hopelessness. May I put my hope in you, and you alone, and no one else! You are the God who acts mercifully and graciously with sinners like us. Please forgive me for trusting myself instead of you. Strengthen my faith that I may have hope in you, O Lord my God!