1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:12,610 Speaker 1: Life Audio Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture, 2 00:00:13,890 --> 00:00:18,370 Speaker 1: a Calming Scripture-Centered devotional podcast designed to help you end 3 00:00:18,489 --> 00:00:21,270 Speaker 1: each day with God's Word in your mind and on 4 00:00:21,310 --> 00:00:26,650 Speaker 1: your heart. Right after this short word from our sponsors, 5 00:00:27,150 --> 00:00:41,699 Speaker 1: we'll reflect on tonight's scripture and Psalm 130. Tonight's scripture 6 00:00:41,740 --> 00:00:45,870 Speaker 1: reflection is written by Sophia Bricker and read by Carrie Eichberger. 7 00:00:45,890 --> 00:00:55,070 Speaker 1: Psalm 130. Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord. Lord, 8 00:00:55,090 --> 00:00:58,230 Speaker 1: hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my 9 00:00:58,290 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, 10 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,740 Speaker 1: who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so 11 00:01:07,780 --> 00:01:11,620 Speaker 1: that we can with reverence serve you. I wait for 12 00:01:11,690 --> 00:01:15,650 Speaker 1: the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word 13 00:01:15,730 --> 00:01:18,850 Speaker 1: I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more 14 00:01:18,890 --> 00:01:22,330 Speaker 1: than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait 15 00:01:22,370 --> 00:01:26,250 Speaker 1: for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, 16 00:01:26,910 --> 00:01:30,260 Speaker 1: for with the Lord is unfailing love. and with him 17 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:35,730 Speaker 1: his full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all 18 00:01:35,790 --> 00:01:45,350 Speaker 1: their sins. Questions often dot our days, leaving us seeking answers. 19 00:01:46,270 --> 00:01:49,220 Speaker 1: Why did this happen to me? When will this promise 20 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: come to pass? What am I supposed to do? How 21 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: can I keep going? Sometimes it seems as if there 22 00:01:56,780 --> 00:02:01,020 Speaker 1: are too many questions and not enough answers. As it is, 23 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:07,340 Speaker 1: seeking God's wisdom is not always quick or easy. Psalm 130, however, 24 00:02:07,820 --> 00:02:12,370 Speaker 1: encourages us to wait and hope when the nightly whispers of, Why, 25 00:02:12,550 --> 00:02:17,829 Speaker 1: O Lord, become overwhelming, and no answer comes. The psalmist 26 00:02:18,070 --> 00:02:21,590 Speaker 1: also voiced questions to God, wondering if he was listening. 27 00:02:22,310 --> 00:02:25,690 Speaker 1: Reminding the Lord of his cries, the writer then speaks 28 00:02:25,740 --> 00:02:29,830 Speaker 1: to himself. He touches upon the human tendency— to forget 29 00:02:29,870 --> 00:02:32,930 Speaker 1: the faithfulness and goodness of God, which is why He 30 00:02:32,990 --> 00:02:37,180 Speaker 1: declares that He will wait expectantly for the Lord's redemption, 31 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,460 Speaker 1: as expectantly as a watchman searching for the first glimmers 32 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: of morning. He watches not because the darkness will last, 33 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,730 Speaker 1: but because the light will come. So it is with us. 34 00:02:50,490 --> 00:02:54,090 Speaker 1: The same Lord who is overflowing with mercy and promises 35 00:02:54,150 --> 00:02:57,170 Speaker 1: to redeem His people is the one we can rely 36 00:02:57,330 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: on In our seasons of questioning and seeking, the whys 37 00:03:01,620 --> 00:03:06,100 Speaker 1: and what-ifs will likely continue to come to mind, especially 38 00:03:06,139 --> 00:03:09,340 Speaker 1: in the quiet of evening. But when they do, we 39 00:03:09,380 --> 00:03:12,470 Speaker 1: can speak to our doubts and fears. I will wait 40 00:03:12,510 --> 00:03:15,850 Speaker 1: for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for 41 00:03:15,889 --> 00:03:19,910 Speaker 1: His word. Or as the prophet Micah said, echoing the 42 00:03:19,950 --> 00:03:23,339 Speaker 1: words of the psalmist, but as for me, I will 43 00:03:23,380 --> 00:03:26,410 Speaker 1: be on the watch for the Lord. I will wait 44 00:03:26,530 --> 00:03:29,850 Speaker 1: for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. 45 00:03:30,630 --> 00:03:33,110 Speaker 1: The answers might not come as quickly as we want, 46 00:03:33,750 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: but they will come as surely as the dawn. Let 47 00:03:37,460 --> 00:03:45,380 Speaker 1: us watch and wait and hope. Dear God, every night 48 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,210 Speaker 1: I bring my questions to you, Lord. But night after night, 49 00:03:49,610 --> 00:03:53,380 Speaker 1: I keep asking the same ones with no reply. Your 50 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,300 Speaker 1: word tells me that you listen and hear my cries. 51 00:03:57,180 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: Nothing goes unnoticed by you. Instead of focusing on the 52 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: slowness of the answers coming, at least slow according to 53 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: my standards, fix my eyes on your faithfulness. Let me 54 00:04:09,380 --> 00:04:12,910 Speaker 1: meditate on your mercy, remembering the grace you have shown 55 00:04:12,950 --> 00:04:16,849 Speaker 1: in forgiving my sins. You are the great Redeemer, and 56 00:04:16,870 --> 00:04:19,790 Speaker 1: so I look to you and wait, trusting you will 57 00:04:19,850 --> 00:04:23,340 Speaker 1: bring about the answers to my questions. in your perfect timing. 58 00:04:24,140 --> 00:04:28,820 Speaker 1: Until then, I wait and watch, trusting that you will act. 59 00:04:29,580 --> 00:04:35,130 Speaker 1: In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. How did tonight's scripture 60 00:04:35,170 --> 00:04:37,850 Speaker 1: speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly 61 00:04:37,890 --> 00:04:39,190 Speaker 1: Scripture Forum discussion. 62 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:52,430 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture 63 00:04:52,870 --> 00:04:57,690 Speaker 2: was read from the New International Version by Biblica. All 64 00:04:57,750 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: rights reserved. Be sure to follow our sister show, Your 65 00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: Daily Bible Verse, on Apple or Spotify. By following Your 66 00:05:09,060 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 2: Daily Bible Verse and Your Nightly Scripture, you can be 67 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,710 Speaker 2: sure that your day begins and ends centered on the 68 00:05:17,750 --> 00:05:18,369 Speaker 2: Word of God. 69 00:05:25,190 --> 00:05:26,130 Speaker 1: Thank you.