There is no way out of the abyss by our own strength. But God reaches out His hand to us. “For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.” (Psalm 130: 7 excerpt).
There was this young man who was not watching where he was going. And he fell into a cistern, several metres deep. Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler spoke about this on 5 July 2026 in Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The young man wanted to climb out but kept slipping. So he cried out for help.
Crying out from the depths
This is more or less what the author of the psalm experienced. “He was somewhere in a deep hole, and every time he tried to climb out, he failed,” the Chief Apostle said. “But he did the only right thing: He cried out.” – “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord,” it says in Psalm 130: 1.
The psalmist’s problem: “He is a sinner and knows only too well: no matter what I try, I cannot get out of this hole by my own power.” But now the Bible text from the divine service comes into play: “For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.”
Even at the lowest point
“What does this Bible verse have to do with us?” the Chief Apostle asked, before answering: “It’s very simple: I myself and all of you are sinners, and we are in a deep hole.”
One need only look at the first commandment: “I am the Lord, your God. You shall have no other gods before Me.” And then we need to ask ourselves the question: “Has God truly been my absolute priority over the last few weeks and months? If not, then I am a sinner.”
Calling out, but in the right way
“The fact is: we are in a deep hole, unable to climb out on our own.” But: “Do not get used to sin. Do not compromise with sin, and do not make yourself a victim by blaming others.”
“The only thing one can do is to cry out to the Lord Almighty. He is a God who listens. He is a God who cares deeply for you.” But we must not stop at a mere cry for help. “Do not hide, but present yourself before Jesus Christ and tell Him openly: ‘I am a sinner; please forgive me.’”
“And then—only then—will you find yourself before a God who is full of love, full of mercy, and full of forgiveness.”
God listens and comes to our aid
“There are souls—many souls in the beyond—who sit in a deep pit, in a prison, unable to help themselves,” emphasised the Chief Apostle. For them, too, the following applies: “There is a God who listens to you. He is interested in you.” You matter to Him.
“Who told you that this God is a God of punishment?” No, that is not true. He is a God of mercy and forgiveness.” And: “The heart of God is big enough for every single soul that has ever lived.”
“Change is possible. The arms of God are open,” Chief Apostle Mutschler said. “And then we can wait together with our brothers and sisters in the beyond.” As Psalm 130: 6 puts it so aptly: “My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.”
Andreas Rother