December 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 130:

¹Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
²Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
³If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
⁴But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
⁵I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
⁶My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
⁷Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
⁸And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Devotional

The aged patriarch Jacob, blessed his sons before he died, and revealed unto them what should befall them in the future. In the midst of his pronouncements he suddenly exclaims: "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." Many disturbing things hap­pened in his eventful life, but through all his adverse experiences he waited for the salvation of the Lord. It is in the book of Lamen­tations, wherein the prophet Jeremiah bewails the calamities that have come upon God's people on account of their sins, that he speaks of the hope of salvation for which he was hoping and quietly waiting. The prophet Micah describes the sad conditions of his day as follows: "The son dishonoreth the father, the daugh­ter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house." And then he says, "Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." The aged Simeon in Jerusalem was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He came by the Spirit into the temple, when the Christ child was brought there. "Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." The psalmist says, "Rest in the Lord (Hebrew: Be silent to the Lord), and wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." No matter how dark it may seem, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. You will not be put to shame.

Prayer

O Lord, when it seems dark within us and round about us, when our faith is severely tried, may we not murmur, but be patient. Help us to watch and pray, and to wait for Thee, know­ing that in Thine own good time Thou wilt help and deliver us. Lord, hear us when we cry unto Thee out of the depths. Suffer not our foot to be moved. Cause us to walk in the light of Thy countenance; speak peace unto our souls, and show us Thy salva­tion. And unto Thee be praise and adoration, honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

---

Scripture in Devotional: Gen. 49:18; Mic. 7:6, 7; Luke 2:28-30; Ps. 130:5.

Click here for background on Light and Comfort and the author.