Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Hope Worth Waiting For" – Sunday, 19 October 2014 - Scripture: Psalm 130:1-8

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Hope Worth Waiting For" – Sunday, 19 October 2014 - Scripture: Psalm 130: A Pilgrim Song
1-2 Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life!
    Master, hear my cry for help!
Listen hard! Open your ears!
    Listen to my cries for mercy.
3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
    who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
    and that’s why you’re worshiped.
5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer—
    and wait for what he’ll say and do.
My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,
    waiting and watching till morning,
    waiting and watching till morning.
7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God—
    with God’s arrival comes love,
    with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.
No doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel,
    buy back Israel from captivity to sin.
"Hope Worth Waiting For" by Matthew Thomas
The psalm is full of the word “wait;” it occurs five times in just two verses (vv. 5-6). Part of worshiping God is waiting on Him and for Him. Psalm 130 is “a song of ascents,” part of a group of psalms (120-134) that pilgrims sang or recited as they traveled to Jerusalem. These travelers were waiting until they could come before God in the holy place. Since they were confident that God forgives and that His forgiveness gives us the ability to revere and serve Him (v. 4), they knew that they could continue to wait.
Those who have received forgiveness have hope, and those who are full of hope can wait. Those who wait patiently for God are never disappointed. Waiting creates anticipation as we put our hope in Him and His word. God has never given His children reasons to doubt His love and faithfulness–doubts come from hearts that forget.
Trust in God with your whole being, and you will find a satisfying hope that will not disappoint (see Rom. 5:1-5). In a world that loathes waiting, the faithful enjoy it because they know the Savior who is at the end of the wait.

Hymn for Today:

"Near To The Heart of God" by Cleland B. McAfee
1. There is a place of quiet rest, 
near to the heart of God; 
a place where sin cannot molest, 
near to the heart of God. 
Refrain:
O Jesus, blest Redeemer, 
sent from the heart of God, 
hold us who wait before thee 
near to the heart of God. 
2. There is a place of comfort sweet, 
near to the heart of God; 
a place where we our Savior meet, 
near to the heart of God. 
Refrain:
O Jesus, blest Redeemer, 
sent from the heart of God, 
hold us who wait before thee 
near to the heart of God. 
3. There is place a place of full release, 
near to the heart of God; 
a place where all is joy and peace, 
near to the heart of God. 
Refrain:
O Jesus, blest Redeemer, 
sent from the heart of God, 
hold us who wait before thee 
near to the heart of God.  
Thought for Today:

“We are only made holy through cooperating with what God is doing in us with faith and trust"(Diane Leclerc).
Prayer Needs:
For the development of Christian leaders in Nicaragua.
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