February 18

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance. — Ps 130:7 BSB

“Let Israel hope in the Lord.” Has she given up hope in herself or in any other creature? Is she crying, sighing, longing, and begging for the Lord to appear in her soul? Then, “let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy.” God will not turn away His waiting people; He won’t strike them with His wrath. Instead, He will show mercy to the poor, guilty sinner who comes humbly before Him, mourning their sins. There’s no wrath in the heart of God for them—only pardoning mercy. Therefore, “let Israel hope in the Lord.”

If Israel looks to herself, she finds no reason for hope. If she looks to the law, there is no comfort. If she looks to human strength, there’s no help. But if she looks to the Lord—to God the Father in His electing love, to God the Son in His redeeming blood, to God the Spirit in His sanctifying work—then her hope will not be disappointed. It will not be like the hope of the hypocrite, a spider’s web swept away by God’s displeasure. Israel’s hope, anchored in the Lord, will be sure and steadfast.