Have you ever felt like life has knocked you down? What do you do when you are overwhelmed, in despair and feel like no one seems to care?
The Psalmist David felt that way many times. As a shepherd boy, he kept wild animals from attacking his sheep. As a young man, he bravely killed Goliath with a slingshot and a small stone. He played the harp to calm the restless and tormented soul of King Saul. After Saul’s disobedience, God chose this young man to be the new king of Israel, and that’s when his problems began. Saul was not ready to give up his crown. He hated his new rival and pursued him relentlessly. David had won many victories, making Saul extremely jealous. While rising in popularity, he made countless enemies. He was, indeed, a warrior.
While David may have been renowned for his bravery, he was not fearless. When he was down, he was down all the way — mentally, physically and spiritually. Psalm 142 gives us a glimpse of his despair, depression and feeling of utter hopelessness.
At the time of that writing, David was hiding in a cave (I Sam. 22:1) to escape the murderous intentions of Saul and his men — “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… 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…. Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need…” (Psalm 142:1-4,6 NIV).
Can you sense his despair? He felt alone and helpless. We may have all felt that way at one time or another. Life seems to have lost its joy; we are sad, lonely, hurt, overwhelmed and aren’t sure that anyone even cares. Our feelings often overcome the truth and keep us from crying out to God.
David’s prayer wasn’t an array of fine words and he didn’t pretend he was just fine — because he wasn’t. He cried out from the depths of his soul. It is okay to cry out to God like that — “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:7).
God gives us wonderful Christian friends and family who will pray for us and comfort us, but it is God who lifts us up — “out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God” (Psalm 40:2-3).
Years ago, I heard a troubled woman say that if she could just have a certain television evangelist pray to God on her behalf, she would make it through her trials. That is misplaced thinking. A renowned, popular TV personality has no better line to God than you and I have. We can go directly and boldly to God. Because of Jesus, we can “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).Not only that, but “…the Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:13-14).
David may have started his prayer in anguish, but he knew that when he was rescued from the things that weighed him down so heavily, the righteous would take notice of God’s goodness. There would be a whole lot of praising going on that day.
Is there any doubt that through God’s Word in our weakest need, we have everything we need to lift us up out of the deepest hole in which we find ourselves? All praise to God for His unfailing love toward us.
