Caved In
Today’s Verse:
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. ~Psalm 142:3
The inscription for Psalm 142 tells us that it is a Maschil of David; a prayer when he was in the cave. This psalm was written either when David was in the cave of Adullam or in one of the caves of Engedi. This is a teaching psalm. It is a lesson to the fact that every Christian will have a cave experience in his life. As we review this psalm, David is “caved in.” He is so overcome with fear and anxiety that his experience has the best of him. This psalm teaches us how to pray when, like David, we feel like we are caved in.
We see David and his discouragement.
David says, “My spirit was overwhelmed within me.” He speaks of his complaint and trouble. He speaks of Saul as his persecutor. He speaks of his predicament as his prison. Discouragement is overwhelming, as David says. It takes away our joy. Our world feels like it is falling apart. We have sleepless nights. We feel like God is very far away. We are looking for an escape. The cave can be a place where discouraged people find themselves.
We see David and his desire.
David pours his heart to the Lord. Three times, he speaks of crying out to the Lord. He lays out his situation before the Lord. David wants out of this situation in a bad way. He has no one to turn to but the Lord. He is praying for a clear path. He is praying for protection. He is praying for prudence and wisdom. He is praying for God to get him out of this horrible situation that he is in. His prayer is explicit. His prayer is extensive. His prayer is excruciating. God knows how bad David feels and how much he needs God’s help.
We see David and his dependence.
David’s situation is teaching him to depend on the Lord. David’s faith needs bolstering. Trials enable us to realize how much we need the Lord. Trials enable us to remove the hindrances that keep us from being close to God. First, David tells the Lord that He is his refuge, or hiding place. That very statement indicates that he is safer trusting in God than he is hiding in a cave. Second, David acknowledges God as his resource. He says that God is his portion in the land of the living. David makes a complete dependence upon God. There is no escape except through God. When life has us caved in, we need to have faith in God and God alone. Because of this, we will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Are you caved in like David was? You can come out of the cave! Call on the Lord and trust Him for the outcome.
Have a faith-enabled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Corinthians 12-14