Day 35 Monday
Read Psalm 130
I was recently reading a brief biography of Martin Luther. As a young priest Luther was overcome with anxiety about finding peace with God. His biographers note that “in spite of fasting, scourging, the minutest self-examination and every other self discipline known to the strict order he joined…he was tormented by the recognition of his own sin, and by the question, “Have I fasted, watched, prayed, confessed enough?” In August of 1513, Luther began a series of lectures on the book of Psalms. And during these lectures on the Psalms a “light broke through the mists of doubt and despair.” Luther came to realize that the “righteousness of God” is a gift. It is a “passive justice which we cannot attain by striving or merit.” It was through his study of the Psalms that Luther became convinced of the doctrine of justification by faith alone and the Church has never been the same since.
Psalm 130 describes this incredible gift of God that brought such famous freedom to Luther.
“If You, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O LORD, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared” (vs. 3).
“O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption” (vs. 7)
“God Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins” (vs. 8).
During Lent we focus our attention on the means by which God has redeemed us from our sins, the death and resurrection of Christ. But, Luther suggested that we need to do this everyday of our lives. Luther understood that our default mode is to always trust in our own ability to save ourselves. When we realize we are unable to do so, we experience the identity crisis that Luther faced – “have I done enough?” Psalm 130 is another beautiful reminder that our peace in God is not based upon whether we have “done enough” but because God Himself has done it for us.
Prayer
Ask God to show you how your “default” into trusting in your own ability rather than what God has done for you.