Psalm 130 - How to Find New Life

I'm going to invite you this morning to Psalms chapter 130. That's where we're going to be together today. And this particular psalm I find very critical in understanding as it relates to your own relationship with the Lord and what it means to walk with him. This is a psalm that I find most people, when you begin to read it, get very intimidated by it, and oftentimes might just quickly want to ignore it and move past to another psalm that gives you the warm and fuzzies. But can I just say to you this morning, if you understand this psalm and what it means to have a fruitful Christian life in light of it, this particular psalm is critical not only for your own faith journey, but also how you invite other people to come and experience the Lord too.

It was this psalm that historically has made a difference in ways that are significant in church history. In fact, in the 1700s, there was an individual by the name of John Wesley. Some of you may be familiar with that name. Very instrumental in church history in Europe and in the United States. He came to America and attempted to establish a church here in America, but actually found out later in history that he wasn't even a believer at that moment. He landed in Saint Simons Island, which is an island just off the coast of Georgia. There's one little section of Georgia that touches the ocean. And this is where John Wesley landed and began to share about Jesus without really knowing Jesus. He went back to England and became a Christian. In fact, it was on May 24th of 1738, he became a Christian. It was almost 300 years ago. But it is historically known that John Wesley had gathered with a group of believers, and during that time they were doing a Bible study, and they were reading together the commentary of Martin Luther on the book of Romans. And it was during that time, in that evening, that John Wesley gave his life to the Lord. However, earlier in that day, John Wesley was a part of a church service where during their gathering, they sang a song that focused on Psalm 130, and the Lord used this psalm to begin to open his heart to the need of the Lord. And it came to a head when he was reading through Martin Luther's commentary on Romans, and he gave his life to the Lord. And John Wesley went on to preach over 40,000 sermons in his life. It is said he traveled over 250,000 miles to preach those messages, most of them by horseback. But he was dedicated to the Lord and the transformation that God brought to his life. And so Psalm 130, not only instrumental for his life, but I think it's critical for all of us to learn the importance of what this psalm contains.

In fact, even when you go back to more recent history. In 1933, the first concentration camp was built in Germany, in Dachau, Germany. And in this concentration camp, they actually had designated places of worship for those that were there. There was a synagogue for the Jewish people. There was a place of worship for the Protestants. And in that Protestant meeting house, they had written on the wall Psalm 130 verse one, and it says this: "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord."

And so when you read the very beginning of this psalm, you're certainly seeing this individual at a critical place in life, in a state of desperation. They are drowning. They are in the midst of it, and they're looking for a way out. They're looking for a rescue. And this is not simply talking about the physical state of their life. This individual is acknowledging it from a spiritual position. God, this is how much I need you. He's in this utter place of desperation. And so this particular psalm is teaching us how to find a place of repentance into forgiveness and ultimate freedom in the Lord. It's going from this place of despair to this place of life, this place of brokenness to this place of healing.

In fact, Psalm 130 is a part of a collection of psalms known as the Penitential Psalms in Scripture. Now, throughout the 150 chapters that are the Psalms, seven of them are categorized as personal penitential psalms. And what that means is it's a psalm that teaches us how to bring our own brokenness to the Lord in repentance and find our healing in him, find that place of forgiveness and freedom in him. And so when you study these penitential psalms, you'll find that Psalm 6 is a penitential psalm, Psalm 32, Psalm 38. Probably the most popular of all the penitential psalms is Psalm 51, and then you have Psalm 102, Psalm 130, which we're reading today, and Psalm 143. All of these psalms significant, carrying a similar thread and what it represents to us, and how to find new life in the Lord.

And this is what we're going to talk about today. How do we find that new life in the Lord? And I want you to know, if you got the notes and you're going to walk through it with us and fill out those blanks, the blanks that we're going to fill out seem rather simplistic. So as we write those simple points we're going to talk about together, I really want you to hear what's undergirding these points, because that is what is leading to life. We're going to acknowledge what these points are, but the way the psalmist undergirds these points for us is critical for us to know and what it means to find new life. And it gives us boldness in the way that we approach our walk with the Lord and the way that we approach our living in this world.

And so what does it look like for us to find new life? Let me give you point number one. Number one, it's got to start this way: identify the problem.

The psalmist is certainly in the depth of despair, and he's describing it in this adversity. "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord." But I want you to know that when we are reading about his struggle, the afflictions that he is going through are not the problem. The afflictions that he is going through are merely the symptoms of the problem. The problem is deeper than just the affliction. In fact, we would say the disease that he's identifying in this psalm is actually his own personal sin. The psalmist is acknowledging in this penitential psalm his own personal sin. That is the challenge that brought him to this place of desperation, where he's calling out to the Lord, hoping to find life in him. And the way that I know that — you might ask the question, well, how can you tell from just verse one that that's what he's saying? I would say it's because I read verse two, three, and four. It becomes very clear to you that this is the reason the psalmist is in this place, because he says, "O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy." And mercy is crying out to God to not give me what I deserve. So mercy is saying, God, I am in this place where your wrath is reasonable and your justice should be made known. And so rather than give me your wrath and justice, God, give me mercy. Withhold from me, Lord, what I deserve in your wrath and justice. In verse three he goes on and says, "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities" — these iniquities are talking about sin — he's saying, God, you're seeing this, and if you're holding this against me, he goes on and says, "who can stand? But with you there is forgiveness." So those highlighted words are saying the psalmist is certainly acknowledging the place that he is in is because of his own actions, which led to these consequences. And so the psalmist is learning how to bring his sinfulness before the Lord. He's identifying the problem.

Now let me just acknowledge what I think we would be saying on an individual basis if we're reading this psalm, and maybe even collectively today. I don't like this, because what this is dealing with is me, and it's forcing me to look in the mirror. And we get uncomfortable in dealing with the particularities of the brokenness in our own heart. Sometimes we're readily able to talk about the brokenness in other people, and we like to pass from ourselves and just highlight and detract from our own brokenness by looking at other people, even justifying ourselves sometimes by saying, well, I'm not that bad — I mean, consider so and so, right? But this psalm is helping us understand: look, if you really want to find new life, if you want to find health in your spiritual journey, you've got to understand how to approach this. And this becomes critical for all of us, because there is a tendency within our culture — and I don't think it's just particular to our culture, I think it's in the brokenness of humanity — when we come to the realization of the challenges that we face because of our sinfulness, that we tend to walk one of two roads in life. And either one of these roads do not bring healing to the soul. They over-promise and they underperform. And we readily follow these paths. And when we follow these paths, what we inevitably find out is exactly what the psalmist is finding out as he's crying in verse one. God, I've tried these roads, but my soul is drowning. And Lord, I desperately need you.

And so what are those two paths that we follow? We could describe one like this: it's sort of like living like we're functionally atheist, or maybe even outright atheist. But in that pathway, we're pretending like there is no moral law. We think it's a construct of humanity and there really is no God. And so what you determine is right for you is fine for you, but what I determine is right for me is what's best for me. And so we start to govern our own lives by what it is that we desire. And we determine right or wrong for ourselves. And we pretend like there is no moral law, and therefore no moral law giver. And whether we believe that outright and just deny that there is a God, or we just functionally live that way, this kind of path is all about sweeping problems under the rug. We don't really have to approach them. We don't really have to deal with them, because they're just simply constructs of our society. They're not really real. They're society's way of oppressing me to get me to do what it is that they want. But I'll be the master of my own domain. I'll determine right from wrong, and I'll live it my own way.

Now, the problem with that particular pathway — there's all sorts of problems with that pathway — but let me just give you one of the functional problems. The pragmatic problem is how do you ever determine right from wrong? And how can you ever tell someone else that what they're doing isn't right? So you think about, if I just gave some big picture ideas, some low-lying fruit: if there is no moral law, who says Adolf Hitler was ever wrong? Like, at best, all you could ever offer to someone is just merely a suggestion. That doesn't seem right. Perhaps you might try a different path, but I can merely just offer it to you as a thought. I can't say with any absolute certainty that this is not good or right. So when it comes to someone like Adolf Hitler, anything that you might have said to him contrary was just merely a suggestion. I mean, we could go through all the big events in history and speak this way, like in terms of slavery. Who's to say slavery is wrong if there's no moral law to ultimately give? The best you can give is a suggestion. Or what about human trafficking? Or what about abuse? Or more specifically, the abuse of children? Who's to ever say anything is wrong? We could just look at the things that are done in life and say to ourselves, well, there are no absolutes, so nothing is truly ever wrong. But we know within our hearts that's not true. Because when we do things that are improper, incorrect, or sinful, we feel the guilt of that. But one path people attempt to take is — whether we acknowledge it or not — we just want to ignore that it exists. I don't know what to do with this. And because I don't know what to do with my own brokenness, looking in the mirror of my own soul, I'm just going to pretend like it doesn't exist. There is no morality. Let's move on.

Or the other path is swinging the pendulum in the quite opposite direction, which is more of the religious path. It's saying, okay, there is a sense of morality, and I realize I've messed up, and so I've got to perform myself out of this. I've got to live up to a standard that I've realized I've faltered at. And so I've got to hold that standard clearly, and I need to pursue this path because I acknowledge that there is brokenness, there is wrong, there is morality, and there is sinfulness. And I don't want to be sinful. And I want you to know, the call of Christianity is so much more than that. If you try to follow that religious path, there are multiple problems. But the goal of us as God's people gathering together here, it's not about avoiding things that are wrong. You can live your whole life that way and never have a walk with the Lord. God's not just simply interested in freeing you from your past. God's also interested in what he's calling you to become in him. And so God rescuing you is for more than just forgiving you. God also wants to shape your identity and purpose in him. God's called you into a relationship. And so religion will point out to you, certainly, things that you've done wrong. And then you'll try to live up to a certain standard. But we've even discussed often as a church that when you follow that path, it really leads to one of two lanes within that road. One is you become so proud in your performance that you start to look down at other people because, well, they're not as good as you. And the other is to realize, no matter how hard I try, I can't fully live up to this standard. And because of that, I have guilt and shame. And what do I do with that guilt and shame? Because when I try to treat the antidote as performing better, doing more, being more religious, I can't undo the things I've done that are wrong.

And can I tell you, in either one of those paths, the solution — though there be two roads — the solution has always been the same. On these two roads, they think the answer is you. Ignore the idea of a moral law giver because, well, it's just the constructs of society. What I determine, that's what ultimately matters. Or in the other path of religious performance, I've got to try harder. I've got to do more. And in that sort of path, you find this guilt and shame. But neither of them is teaching you to deal with what truly separates you from a life-healing relationship with God. Because the antidote you thought you had has always been yourself. And that's never been the way. The Bible comes to us not trying to offer any one of these as a solution, but saying to you, look, there's a third path, and it's far greater.

I remember not too long ago I was down at a lecture by an individual — I don't even want to get into specifics of it — but there was this particular individual that went through some things here in Utah. He was giving a lecture down at UVU, and a group of us went down to listen to it. We were really interested in what they were going to say. And at the end of the lecture, he offered a Q&A time. And in the back of the room this lady stands up and she's instantly crying before she even gets a word out. And as she starts to share about her story, wanting to ask the lecturer what she should do, she starts to tear up even more as she gets further into her own story, and it just becomes clear how much this has emotionally impacted her. And she shares her story like this. She says the group of people she's with — and I felt bad for the group of people she was with, because she outed them all — it was all these married couples that just lined the back of this room. And she said, you know, all of us have tried this religious path and we realize our religion wasn't true. And so we abandoned it all. So they tried the performance. They tried the guilt and the shame of do better, how come you can't be enough? And if you know anything about guilt and shame, guilt says what you did is wrong. But then shame takes a step forward and says no, more than just what you did is wrong — who you are is wrong. And so we wrestle with those challenges, like, I did something wrong, but the fact that I keep doing this wrong thing must mean that there's something about me that's wrong. And so she said, you know, we tried that path. It didn't work. And so because they realized their religious path isn't right, they just assumed then that everything dealing with any morality was wrong altogether. And so they tried the other path, the functional atheist path where there is no moral law, there is no moral law giver. We'll just do what we want. And so this entire group of people started practicing polyandry. And now she's asking the question to this lecturer: what do we do? And she's sitting in this brokenness and she doesn't know how to find another path.

And so this particular psalm is critical for all of us to understand, because the invitation of what Jesus gives us as people is not to pretend like he doesn't exist, because we're never really going to deal with ourselves. And it's not an invitation to religion, but to understand who Christ is and what he calls us to in him. So it becomes critical for all of us to identify the problem. And if you didn't get it, it's you. But let's move forward. We don't want to sit in a place like that. It's critical to recognize it, because in the Lord there is incredible healing for the soul. There is new life in him, and understanding what it means to come to him is important for all of us. This is what the psalmist is saying. God, I'm looking for that other path. I'm crying out in the depths of where I'm at.

So number two is this: find the proper solution.

And this is what the psalmist is saying to us as he's sharing with us about the needs of the individual. He's saying in verse three, "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who can stand?" He's acknowledging the reality that God sees what we're doing wrong. And so it's foolish to just pretend like it doesn't exist. God sees into the darkest parts of our lives when others may not be aware. God is aware. And this becomes critical for us to understand, then, how to deal with sin. Let me give you two verses. I don't know that they're in your notes, but I think these two verses become paramount to understand in terms of what sin really is. Because I find when we deal with sin, we're not really dealing with the root of sin. We're often just dealing with the results of sin. Meaning, when we repent as people, what we often repent over is not really the sin itself, but the result of what sin produced. Because when we're sinning, we are fine oftentimes with that sin as long as it remains in the dark. If no one finds out, I'm good with it and I want to keep doing it. But the minute it gets exposed, we tend to get embarrassed. And then sometimes we see the result of our sin and the way it impacted others, and we feel bad for the way that it impacted others. But it's when it is brought to the light and we feel embarrassed, and then we recognize how it impacted other people, that we, quote, repent. And I'm saying there can be some genuineness in that. I'm not saying that's wrong. When I do things wrong, it impacts people around me. It destroys trust. There's reconciliation that needs to take place. That's true. And it takes time to build trust. That's all true. But what makes sin sin isn't the result of what it produces. What makes sin sin is God himself. He's the moral law giver.

So let me give you these two verses. I think they're critical to understand. The first is 1 John chapter 3, verse 4, and the second is 2 Corinthians chapter 7, verse 10. In 2 Corinthians chapter 7, verse 10, the Apostle Paul, in talking to a group of believers about their sinfulness, acknowledges sin this way: that there is worldly sorrow and there is godly repentance. Worldly sorrow, Paul's acknowledging, isn't true genuine repentance. It's just saying, I feel bad how my sin impacted you. I'm sorry. Godly repentance is seeing our sinfulness as God sees it. In 1 John chapter 3, verse 4, it says it like this: "Sin is lawlessness." When it's describing for us that definition of sin — sin is lawlessness — it acknowledges there is a law. And if there is a law, there is a law giver, or there is a morality, therefore there is a moral law giver. And it's important for all of us to recognize that whether our sin gets exposed in the light or not, anytime we do something wrong, God always sees it. And the reason it's a sin is because it's always an affront to the Lord before it's ever an affront or a harm to anyone else. Meaning, if I tell a lie — I've never told one in my life — I'm just kidding. If you really believe that, that is a lie, right? So I need to repent right here. If I tell a lie, the reason that a lie is wrong is not because my lie hurts other people. It's not because my lie gets found out and I get embarrassed. It's because God is a God of truth, and I'm made in the image of God, and therefore I am to reflect truth in the way that I live my life. And if I don't, I'm denying the one who made me in his image. Everything I do that's sinful is always an affront against the Lord before it's an affront against anyone else.

So when we're learning to repent as God's people, what we're repenting of is not the symptom of our sin, but the brokenness of my own heart that led me to be contrary to my Lord before I ever impacted someone else. Now, when we talk about repentance, it is critical to know that repentance isn't just about turning from something, but it's also about running toward something. God's called me to so much more in him. My life is not just simply about avoiding sin. What a boring, terrible Christian life that would be. My life is about walking in something new in Jesus. There is a third path. God, help me understand what that is. God, help me find that solution in you.

And the psalmist says it like this — I love this — God, you see my iniquities. But then here's what gives us boldness in verse four: "But with you there is forgiveness." He's saying it like this: that God doesn't just sometimes forgive, that God is a forgiving God. That's what God does. He's not thinking, okay, maybe some of your sins. He's saying, no, I want this brought to me because this is where healing is made known. You need to learn what to do with this — not those two paths in your life — but to understand who I am in light of this. So the psalmist is saying, God, I know in you that this is what I get. And it's not that I get it at some point somewhere. It's saying, God, you deliver this right now for me. This is not looking to me as the solution. This is looking to you and your incredible grace and mercy. This is acknowledging by faith the beauty of who you are.

And he says this: "That you may be feared." And this becomes critical for all of us to understand. Sometimes people operate in the belief, well, you Christians, you just believe God will forgive you. So what stops you from living like hell? Why don't you just do what you want and then just chalk it up to God forgives you? And Romans chapter 6 is the chapter Paul wrote on that very question. He asks it twice. "What, may we do that grace may abound?" He asks at the beginning of the chapter and then again in verse 15. "And shall we go on sinning that grace may abound?" He says, May it never be. Because I've been bought with a price. Therefore may I glorify God with my body. Paul is saying, I recognize what it took God to forgive me of my sins. He carried that weight on the cross, and then he delivered his grace for me, that I could find that forgiveness.

Now, in this particular psalm, Psalm 130, the psalmist doesn't know the extent of what God's going to do. He just knows God's a holy God, and there is wrath against sin. And because he's a good God, he will pour out his wrath. And at the same time, he's a gracious, forgiving God. He doesn't know how all that's going to orchestrate together. But we, on this side of history, now understand where it all culminated — at the cross of Christ. And the cross is the only place in history where the wrath of God and the grace of God are poured out, and God doesn't forsake one of his attributes for the other. Meaning, if you think about in your life, if you're going to act with justice or you're going to act with grace, you have to sacrifice one for the other. But at the cross of Christ, God pours both out fully — the wrath of God on Jesus for your sins, and the grace of God made known. What an incredible Lord that is! And he says it brings us to this place of fear before him, this place of utter reverence before such a holy God. Where else could I go? And God, in his own overwhelming mercy and power, has made it known.

And so the psalmist finds himself in this place of reverential fear before the Lord. The fear of the Lord is critical for us to understand. In fact, C.S. Lewis in his book The Chronicles of Narnia comes to that point in his book where he's writing to children to help them understand, through The Chronicles of Narnia, different theological concepts. And one of those he deals with is the idea of fear. And in one particular moment, there are two of the young ladies in this book who are about to meet Aslan for the first time. It's Susan and Lucy, and the animals are preparing these two girls to meet Aslan. And they had assumed Aslan was a human being. And they come to find out, no, he's actually a lion. And so then they begin to dialog with the animals about meeting this lion. And Susan asks the question. She says of the lion, "Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." And one of the animals, Mrs. Beaver, responds, "That you will. Make no mistake, if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they are either braver than most, or else just silly." And then Lucy asks, "Then he isn't safe?" And then Mr. Beaver responds, "Safe? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he is good. He's the king, I tell you."

Understanding the significance of who this God is and his glory and holiness, and at the same time in his wonderful merciful grace poured out. William Grinnell said this: "We fear men too much because we fear God so little."

Understanding the significance of who the Lord is — one of the healthiest ways that we can know, do I have a proper fear of the Lord — I think manifests itself in two ways in the life of the believer. And these two paths almost seem juxtaposed against one another. We might ask as Christians, how can this be? Because if we truly understand the fear of the Lord, one thing it should produce in our life is a sense of humility. We know who we are apart from the grace of God in our lives. We know that we're no better than anyone else, that all of us, by the grace of God, go forth in this world. So it produces in us this place of humility, the fear of the Lord. But at the same time it produces within us this incredible boldness, this confidence in who we are — not because we achieved it in and of ourselves, but because of what he's done on our behalf. We realize the antidote to the soul isn't built on our performance, but on the performance of Christ on our behalf. And so it brings us to this place of humility and acknowledging before him, and at the same time it brings us this incredible confidence because of our position in him. What Jesus has done, the sufficiency that we've received because of who Christ is and what that means for us.

In fact, the book of Romans says it like this: "God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance." When you understand who he is, you don't have to hide in the shadows. You don't have to sweep it under the rug. You don't have to outperform it. You just come to the Lord in the desperation of your soul and say, God, I know who I am apart from you, but I know who you are. And in a reverence for your glory and the grace that is made known in your presence, I just surrender my life to you.

And then in light of that, you find point number three in your notes: we are able to seek transformation.

You see, this is what the psalmist does in verse five. "I wait for the Lord. My soul waits. And in his word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than a watchman for the morning, more than a watchman for the morning." This is the comparison of the watchman. And in times of peace, you know that as soon as the sun arises, his shift is over. He can go home. He longs for that. But could you imagine if you realized that war might be imminent? I mean, that's not the shift you want to work. And the psalmist is finding his own soul is in this place of war. And he's saying, I'm looking to the Lord.

But I want you to know that the psalmist now has pivoted in the way he's presenting himself. He's saying, look, I'm not just coming to the Lord hoping God rescues me. He's saying in verse five and six, I've rejected those other two paths. And now this third path is what I'm on. And my hope is being defined in who God is, in what he's done for me. So if you want to know what I'm following, I'm waiting on the Lord. I'm following his direction. My heart is in pursuit of him. I'm looking and longing for everything he's calling me to. This is my place in life. This is what brings me to this position of humility and incredible confidence.

God is a good God. Can I tell you, if you've come to know the Lord in your life, the Bible tells you, once you've believed, you're redeemed in him. You belong to him. You've been adopted into his family. It tells you in Romans chapter 8, once you've been adopted, there's no height, no depth, there's nothing in this world that can separate you from the love of Christ Jesus. If you belong, you belong forever. But it's also important to recognize that our sinfulness can still impact our relationship with the Lord. Do I have an identity in Christ? Yes, I've been adopted. I belong. My destiny has been secured. That's true. John chapter 10 — no one can snatch me from his hand. I belong to Jesus. But I can choose to walk in such a path in life that I'm not experiencing that fellowship with him. That's why I think John wrote 1 John chapter 1, verse 8. He says, "If we say that sin is not in us, we're liars." But in verse nine, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He's saying, if there's a problem in your walk with the Lord, it's not on the Lord's behalf. It's in us. But it's important for our fellowship just to be honest to the Lord and say, Lord, I've done it again. I walked the path of me. But Lord, you called me to belong. And so now I know what to do with my own brokenness. I don't have to hide it. I don't have to run from it. I don't have to pretend it doesn't exist. I don't have to try to outperform it. I just need to surrender and let the strength of who you are lead me in this life. God, I want to enjoy you. That's what I've been created for.

So the psalmist, in light of that, brings us to this last point, which is this: to extend an invitation.

And this is what the psalmist does for his own people. He says, "O Israel, hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities." Can I tell you one of the great evidences of your life? If you really get this psalm, you're going to understand what the fear of the Lord is. And in your life, you're going to share this Lord with other people. You're going to help other people find this path too. When you truly understand who Christ is, this is something in your life you do not contain, but you let out. And this is what the psalmist is doing. Notice he uses the word redemption twice. He uses it at the end of verse seven and at the beginning of verse eight. He's saying, Israel, there is redemption. Israel, there is redemption. And what he's saying is, Israel, there is a better path. You've tried other redeemers, you've chosen those other two roads. And that false redemption that presented itself never cured the soul. There is a better path of redemption.

And he describes it in these passages as steadfast love. What you need to discover is your redemption through the steadfast love of the Lord. And we talked about God's steadfast love a little bit last week. But just to pepper it a little further along, this is talking about God's covenantal love. One of the things that we often give our children here in this church, and sometimes we'll encourage you even as parents — if you want your kids to know the Bible, if they're under the age of ten, the Jesus Storybook Bible is incredible because it ties the theme of Scripture together so kids get the grand story of what the Bible is about. But in this book it describes to you covenantal love. It repeats it over and over again. The author does, and she says it like this: it's the never-stopping, never-giving-up, unbreaking, always-and-forever love.

When I mess up, I can come to God boldly. Why? Not because of me. Not because I've impressed him, but because of who he is. The mercy of God made known. Because God isn't calling me simply to avoid sin. God's calling me to walk with him. God's calling me to so much more, to forsake the paths of life and to walk a new path, a better path, one that I'll get to walk hand in hand with the one who created me for his purpose. And when I discover that, I get the privilege of sharing it with others, that they might find it too.

Somebody just stay with me. I know we're out of time. In 1919 in Boston, there was something that happened that I call absolutely absurd. It's almost unreal. I can't even think of how this could even take place in history, but it did. In the South, even my mom would say this often — when people are slow in the South, or in my home when us kids were running late to get out the door, my mom would always tell us, you're slower than molasses in January. Boy, get with it. That's what she would say. It's kind of a southern saying, and I've always grown up thinking molasses must be pretty slow. Slower than molasses in January — you can't get any slower than that because it's also cold. But then there's one event in history that just disproved all of this. And this happened in 1919, in January, in Boston, when there was for some reason a tank that held 2.3 million gallons of molasses. I don't even know why someone thought, you know what, we should build a tank that holds 2.3 million gallons of molasses. But it did. And apparently whoever built that wasn't a good builder of tanks, because it busted open and pouring through the streets of Boston came this wall of molasses that got up to 15 feet high, traveling at 35 miles an hour, and it killed over 20 people, and some 100-plus people were injured on top of that. And in that picture you just kind of see the devastation of things that have been flattened because of a wall of molasses. And that's like horror movie stuff, right? That is absurd to think about.

But can I just tell you, when it comes to the state of your own soul, this is the kind of game that we're playing when we don't understand what it means to approach the grace of God in the brokenness of our life. Because there is the wrath of God. But more importantly than that, there's also the grace of God. And as overwhelming as the wall of God's wrath might be in the imperfections of our soul, it's far more important to understand how much deeper God's grace runs. And that's what the psalmist is saying. The depth of my soul, I'm being overwhelmed with this wall of water. But God, in your mercy, you allow me to confront where I am, and in its own desperation, because of who you are, there is another way.

That's why Paul wrote the book of Romans. If I just gave you a couple verses to close, Paul says it like this in Romans 5: "For where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." There is no darkness that I have been in that God's grace cannot far exceed. And even in Romans 6:23, if you don't have a verse of the Bible memorized, let me just tell you, this is a good one to start with. It says this: "For the wages of sin is death" — place of desperation — "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Psalm 130 is healing to the soul. God, teach me what it means to know you and the reverence of that glory. May my mouth sing the praise that invites others to belong. This incredible chapter is one that shares the theme of all Scripture that invites our souls to belong to him.