Having A Heart Connection

INTRO

As we continue through our study in Psalms, remember that our phrase for how the Messiah is presented in the book is King of Glory. Psalm 130 is within the fifth book of the psalms (107—150) and was one of the Psalms of Ascent (120—134). The psalms give us an emotional connection and can bring back a memory of what was happening earlier. For example, I used to fish a lot with my buddy Adam. I had a fishing lure called “A Dancing Nancy,” that would dance across the top of the water. While we fished, we’d listen to music, especially the song, “A Girl Named Tennessee,” which had the perfect rhythm for me to get the lure to dance. Whenever I hear that song, I remember that day—standing on the boat in the sunshine, making the lure dance, and fishing with my buddy. I have an emotional connection to that song. Likewise, these Psalms of Ascent were written to create an emotional connection for the author and for the people who sang them as they went up to Jerusalem. These psalms can also create an emotional connection for us that goes much deeper than just reading the Scripture to a heart connection and a soul connection.

Psalm 130 builds a case for ultimate redemption that begins with mercy, moves into trust, and leads to hope. The psalm can be outlined in three sections: desperate cry for mercy (vv. 1–2); strong expression of trust (vv. 3–4); and deliberate decision to hope (vv. 5–8).

TEACHING

Psalm 130:1-2: The psalmist cried out from the depths of his soul (v. 1). How deep could this be? The King of Glory is ready and waiting for us to cry out to Him. Have you cried out from the depths? In my own life, I’ve been there. I was married before I was a believer, and things were not going well. We were in counseling, and I was praying we would have the strength to get through—even before I was believer. I cried out to God when I couldn’t do it anymore.

The psalmist cried out for mercy and that God would hear him (v. 2). God has power and dominion over all, so we can cry out to Him and He will hear us! The definition of the word mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” I think we inherently know God hears our voice! Sometimes in our fleshly interactions, we want to make sure someone is listening to us and not just hearing us. The psalmist begged God to listen—to let God’s ears be attentive to his pleas.

Psalm 130:3–4: These verses speak of trust in the Lord. In verse 3, the psalmist stated that if God kept record of his sin, he would be unable to stand before Him to face the judgment he deserved (Romans 5:8). In reality, it only takes one sin to separate us from the Lord. That’s all He needs to count. One. But in God, there is forgiveness (v. 4). The word “fear” in verse 4 can be understood as “awe.” The weight of our sin and our separation from God is heavy. But, the Almighty and Powerful God gives a way to set that sin aside—He forgives us so we can be in relationship with Him, so we can understand His purpose for our lives, and so we can tap into His power in order to live out that purpose. We can trust in God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Psalm 130:5–8: The psalmist waited for God and he put his hope in God’s Word (v. 5). He waited for the Lord with more intensity than the watchmen on the night shift waited for the morning to come (v. 6). Watchmen were tasked with keeping eye over the village at night to keep people safe. It was a lot of pressure to look for things in the darkness. Imagine the relief when the morning light appears. That is the anticipation we have as we wait on the Lord to work.

The psalmist expressed a deliberate decision to hope in God (v. 7). There is intentionality in calling on the Lord, trusting in the Lord, and putting hope in the Lord. It is active and purposeful. Our souls are waiting for something to connect with . . . to plug it and to charge it up. People find other ways to try to fill their souls—people, products, places, professions—but it should come from the Lord. I sat next to a woman on a plane recently who had a tough upbringing and didn’t get the best love from her parents. She went to a church camp and was filled up but didn’t have anyone to walk with after that. She was a kind person and made it a point to love others, but it was clear that she was still looking for that connection to come into alignment with her soul. We know it’s Jesus. How many people in our lives “know God” but don’t necessarily know Jesus? They believe in God but are missing out on the power of Jesus Christ. This woman, like a watchman, was looking for the moment when her soul would align with the Lord.

CLOSING

When Erica and I were about to get married, I remember Kyle asking how he could pray for us. I told him to pray that we could live our lives like Aquila and Priscilla. We wanted to walk alongside of people who did not know the Lord or had not developed intimacy with Him. In Acts 18, Aquila and Priscilla took in Apollos, who knew a lot about the Lord through John the Baptist but had not experienced an intimate relationship with God. They showed Apollos mercy, and what it meant to trust in the Lord, and helped him find his hope in the Lord. They helped him make an emotional and soulful connection to God. After Aquila and Priscilla walked alongside of Apollos, he was able to preach with all boldness (Acts 18:24–28).

We wanted to walk along with people who were also searching for that emotional connection with God. Every Sunday, we have an open invitation to our home for dinner. We invite people to come over with no agenda, and we spend time talking and encouraging, and learning their God story. Some evenings we spend time talking about sharing the gospel or the love of Christ for the lost. In the process of talking and listening, we are asking God for discernment to know what He would have us speak into their lives, how we can bless them, and how we can help them align their hearts with His. Often, we’re just helping call out the movement of God in their lives as they tell their stories.

All of us can look at the ministry of Aquila and Priscilla, the only married couple presented in ministry in the New Testament, and ask God how He can use us to pour into others who are seeking Him. We can be ministering to those seeking God for the first time, and those who haven’t yet experienced fully what a relationship with Christ can be like. Ultimately, we want them to have a complete connection of their hearts with Him.