Psalm 142: Verses 1-3 (NIV)
I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.
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.
David wrote this Psalm when he was hiding in a cave and on the run. He reminds us therefore that no matter where we are, and how difficult things get, we can pour out everything that’s on our hearts to God. Before Him we don’t need to put on a brave face. People tried to catch David out, but God always watched over his path and guided him along the way.
We can do the same. The NLT translation of this passage talks about when we feel overwhelmed, God knows the way we should go. Its easy to feel overwhelmed when there is a lot going on in our lives, and if we do, its easy to get to the place where we really don’t know what to do next, but God does. That’s why we need to follow David’s example.
Dear Lord,
I am grateful that through the Psalms we get a glimpse of David’s emotions and feelings, and therefore see just how much like us he was. And because of that we are encouraged to follow his example and draw near to You in our distress. Thank You that You never turn us away. Amen.