Greetings:
Have you ever felt like your prayers were falling on deaf ears and not even reaching the top of the room where you were sitting or kneeling?
King David felt that way in Psalm 142 (NIV) as he prayed while alone in a cave:
1. I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
2. I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.
3. When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.
4. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.
5. I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6. Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
7. Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.”
This Psalm is full of sorrow and pain, but also faith.
This is no casual prayer. David is distressed. He is crying out, he is pleading for mercy. This is intense prayer.
He is pouring out his concerns and grievances. He is unveiling his “troubles” – his adversity, anguish and current affliction.
He is clearly speaking to God.
He is saying to God, you know what I am going through. Help me.
We have to understand that this was a desperate and serious time for David.
Saul is hunting him down to kill him. Saul has already had all the priests at Nob killed along with their families simply because one of them helped David.
This is serious stuff and a serious time to pray – to cry out to God for help.
He is in a cave – alone and scared – there is nowhere else to go to find shelter. The Philistines didn’t give him a safe haven. All he has is a cave.
He was on death’s door, unless God reached out.
David promises that if God helps him, he will give thanks to God.
He ends his lament with an expression of faith when he says, “The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.”
David is confident that God is going to act for him and deliver him. He will no longer be in danger and he is will no longer alone.
In Psalm 142 we learn that God is there in our time of trouble. Tell him what you need in prayer. Pour out your heart to him.
The psalm also shows that God will allow us go through some very difficult trials – almost to our breaking point –– where we feel alone and threatened, where we are in a dark place, with no one standing up for us or caring about us. We too can be brought so low that our spirit faints within us.
I've been in situations like that in my life.
But I know God is my refuge. He had reached down and helped when when I was unworthy of his help. But the shed blood of Christ and his forgiveness made me worthy.
May it never be said that there is no one to care for us. But if we find ourselves in an extreme situation like David did – know that God will protect us and provide for us, just as he did with David.
These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.
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