It is pretty incredible how God uses His word to encourage us. As I have been processing through a lot of things here recently: job choices, evaluating my relationship with Kelsey (which gets better and better all the time), figuring out how to get to know the team I am going overseas with this summer, figuring out how to write a support letter for my trip, really glorifying God where I am right now, figuring out where my ministry should be at the moment and other smaller things, I have felt a bit like the seed sown among the thorns in Matthew 13:7 - overwhelmed with “the worries of this life.” This morning before I left to go to work, I spent a bit of time reading through some Psalms and was so encouraged by the words of Psalm 130. I’ll let it speak for itself:

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

5 I wait for the LORD , my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.