Psalm 142
Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.
1I cried unto the Lord with my voice; With my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. 2I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. 3When 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. 4I looked on my right hand, and beheld, But there was no man that would know me: Refuge failed me; No man cared for my soul. 5I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge And my portion in the land of the living. 6Attend unto my cry; For I am brought very low: Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are stronger than I. 7Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise thy name: The righteous shall compass me about; For thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
The header of Psalm 142 tells us that David prayed these words when he was in the cave. (He also wrote Psalm 57 while there) He is hiding in fear for his life with the armies of king Saul searching to kill him. One verse from this wonderful Psalm grabbed and held my attention.
Psalm 142:4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, But there was no man that would know me: Refuge failed me; No man cared for my soul.
I imagine depressed David laying on his side and staring toward the dark damp wall of the cave as he says these words
Do you hear what he is saying?
“Nobody is here for me!”
“Nobody wants to know me!”
“Nobody cares for my soul!”
But hold on David, that just isn’t true! You may look to your right side as you lay there and see nobody that cares but the Scriptures tell me that your perception is very wrong.
1 Samuel 22:1–2 1David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2And every one that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
Maybe dear David, you should roll over to your other side, on the right side you may see nobody that cares but have you looked to your left? I think you are just looking in the wrong direction.
There are 400 men that care to love you, respect you, and want to be with you.
It is possible for us to have a wrong perception too!
We like David can feel alone in a cave filled full of folk. We can feel like nobody cares surrounded by people who love us.
What do you do when you feel alone and unloved?
1. Look for the Light
Perhaps the darkness of the night concealed from David’s sight all those men that cared. Could it be that morning light revealed a big band of friends that the Psalmist couldn’t see?
Maybe he was truly alone when he prayed these words but in the morning this group of friends arrived. Either way he was wrong in his belief that nobody cared, and I bet you may be too.
If you feel alone and unloved, I beg you to endure the darkness until God can shed some better light on your situation. I think some better light will help you see that you are loved.
2. Look to The Lord
Maybe David knew those men were there but felt alone anyway. It was then that David turned from his side and looked up.
Psalm 142:5 I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge And my portion in the land of the living.
When companions can’t comfort, when family and friends can’t console, Christ can!
I am reminded of these words from George Macdonald
TO ONE UNSATISFIED
When, with all the loved around thee,
Still thy heart says, “I am lonely,”
It is well; the truth hath found thee:
Rest is with the Father only.[1]
Do you feel alone? The Bible teaches us that you are not.
Our Lord is always there, he always cares and can bring comfort to your soul.
Readings for 12/15/20
[1] MacDonald, G. (1893). The Poetical Works of George MacDonald (Vol. 2, p. 140). London: Chatto & Windus.