Summer Devotional Series

Psalm 142

When David the Psalmist was young, Samuel had anointed him to be the next king of Israel. Kings generally live well, but David ended up on the run with Saul and his army after him, hiding in caves, and in survival mode. David found himself in the classroom of faith, and he implemented the curriculum of prayer. Psalm 142 teaches us how to pray when we are overwhelmed.

Cry out to the Lord because He knows your path. In prayer we recognize the sufficiency of God. David admitted he was overwhelmed with no way of escape. His enemies were strong, and he felt like he was in prison. Self-sufficiency leads us to independence, and recognizing our need leads us to dependence on God. In prayer we believe in faith that God will respond to our need. God knows our path.

Cry out to the Lord because He cares for your soul. Your soul is who you really are, as it is the non-physical part of us. It is the part of us that lasts eternally after the body experiences death. It is central to the personhood of a human being. Your body doesn’t have a soul, your soul has a body. Your soul is the essence of who you are. The soul is referenced over and over again in Scripture. Whatever the reason is for feeling alone, you can know that God cares for your soul.

Cry out to the Lord because He is your refuge and portion. A refuge is a shelter or place of protection from danger, or trouble. God is our safe place when we need protection. There are forty-five references to God as our refuge in the Psalms alone. This does not mean he will never lead us into difficult or dangerous situations. Countless times, God led the Israelites into battles against armies more powerful than they were. Yet when they trusted God and obeyed, He gave the victory. Jesus led the disciples into a boat, knowing well the storm was coming and yet Jesus calmed the storm.

Cry out to the Lord because He will deliver you. Deliverance is defined as a rescue from danger. God rescues his people from enemies, the hand of the wicked, and preserves them from famine, death, and the grave. We are weak but God is strong.

Cry out to the Lord in praise. The Psalm began with a concern or a complaint. He concludes with confidence in the praise to come. The Psalm began with isolation and concludes with confidence in community.