Morning

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!  

       O Lord, hear my voice!...

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

    and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

    more than watchmen for the morning,

    more than watchmen for the morning.

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.

(Psalm 130:1, 5-8 ESV)

I wait…. That is it. It isn’t “I wait on the Lord FOR….” For health. For change. For this. For that. For health, money, resolution. But I wait on the Lord himself. Not the Lord as a means to an end. For him. It is in his presence there is change, answer, satisfaction, what we really long for, desire. He is the answer, himself. Do I believe that?

The psalmist waits on the Lord himself. Because he KNOWS the Lord. He knows his character. Waiting is a time to press into the heart of God. Waiting becomes easy (or easier) when we know, know, with mind, heart, soul, strength, tongue, the Lord's character.

For from the Lord, his character, a new morning light casts its rays over the whole situation. For with the Lord there is steadfast love and redemption. This is so who the Lord is, to see the Lord is to see love and redemption; where he is there will be love, just as where morning is there is sun and light, just as with snow there is cold. Inherent, intrinsic, essence.

The Lord he waits, for with the Lord is redemption. Redemption. Redemption!!! This is his cry, his plea. This is what I see when I look out my window at the yelling in the park across the street, the newspapers, the hurricanes—the creation groaning for redemption. Redemption--life in sickness, joy, peace, beauty from ashes, reconciliation. This is the heart of God I hear: redemption. This is the hope sealed by the resurrection: redemption.  

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. … For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:19, 22-23).

Cry out! Yearn! This my soul longs for, more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than a child waits for Christmas! Redemption in every corner of Adrian, every dark alley, every corner of my heart, pride, selfishness, control, fear. In families, courts, friends, pantries, rehab centers. Now, it breaks in, now the dawn arises—yes, just a glimpse of the Final-Always Morning, the Ultimate Dawn. But now. And yearn.

He will.

HE will.

He WILL.

“He who calls you is faithful; he will do it” (1 Thes. 5:24).